Olpe resident Steve Atherton says his time on the Kansas Guardianship Program’s Board of Directors has been meaningful — which is why he was glad, if not surprised, that Kansas Governor Laura Kelly recently reappointed him to the board.
Atherton has been on the board since 2017. On KVOE’s Morning Show on Tuesday, he says his time as guardian ad litem for a disabled child in the 1990s opened his eyes to the program’s work.
The Kansas Legislature established the state guardianship program in the late 1970s. It relies on volunteers to serve as guardians or conservators for vulnerable adults who otherwise may not otherwise have family members or advocates in medical or legal settings.
The program needs volunteers. Atherton says there is a “rigorous” background check for people interested in serving in this manner.
More information about the program is online at ksgprog.org.
