Tarrant County’s guardianship program began in 1985 as “Volunteer Guardians,” a pilot project administered by the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program at United Way and funded by Older American’s Act funding. When the pilot project proved a success, the guardianship program became part of Senior Citizen Services of Greater Tarrant County.
At first, only volunteers served as guardians. As the number of clients grew and the clients’ situations became more difficult, staff members were hired to also serve as guardians. Today both staff and volunteers carry out the duties of guardian and money manager, depending on availability of a volunteer and the demands of the case.
In the late 90’s, Tarrant County’s Probate Judges noticed an increasing need for guardians for people under age 60. With few exceptions, the program had previously only served older adults. A community survey recommended that there be a single guardianship program to serve all adults. A group of attorneys formed a board and incorporated as Guardianship Services, Inc. In 1998, the guardianship program was transferred from Senior Citizen Services to Guardianship Services, Inc. and began serving adults of all ages.
The Money Management Program became part of Guardianship Services, Inc. in 2000. As a less restrictive alternative to guardianship, the program serves as Representative Payee for government benefits while the client continues to make all other decisions. The Money Management Education Program was developed in 2006 to enable persons with intellectual disabilities to learn to protect themselves from exploitation and to manage their own money.