Volunteer Opportunities

Guardianship Monitoring Program (GMP)

Mission Statement: The Guardianship Monitoring Program is dedicated to assisting and improving the Court of Chancery’s monitoring practices of those appointed to serve as guardians for incapacitated people in the state of Delaware.

Goals: To perform routine audits, investigations and reviews of active guardianship cases, to foster communication between the court, state agencies and the community and to address the needs and concerns of people under guardianship, their guardians and other interested parties.

Program Information

The Office of the Public Guardian, (OPG) operates the Guardianship Monitoring Program (GMP) for the Court of Chancery which is designed to monitor individuals who have been placed under guardianship and whose care is the responsibility of court-appointed guardians.

These vulnerable individuals are adults over the age of eighteen that have been deemed incapacitated by the State of Delaware. A guardian is someone appointed by the court to make medical and/or financial decisions on behalf of these individuals. This important monitoring function enables the court to have first-hand information about people for whom the court has ultimate responsibility.

As a volunteer for the GMP, you will be assigned a case, given necessary information about the case, visit with the ward and the guardian if necessary. After your visit, you will complete a report indicating the status of the person subject to guardianship and any other important information.

Your report, once completed, should be checked for spelling, grammar and factual accuracy. Accuracy is important as your report will become part of official court record. Once reviewed, you will then email your report to your contact at the OPG. The report will be viewed by staff and then filed with the court.

The wards of the Court of Chancery are very important and they deserve every right and protection we can provide them. As a volunteer you become the “eyes and ears” of the court and your participation in the Guardianship Monitoring Program is invaluable.

Additional Information

If you are interested in volunteering for the GMP, you will need to meet the following qualifications:

Be 18 years or older
Pass a background check
Have a valid driver’s license, valid insurance and be able to provide your own transportation
Attend training