By: Laura Ginsberg

Phelps County resident Brigitte DeSherlia is making a difference in the lives of children in Missouri's 25th Judicial Circuit.

As a volunteer with Court Appointed Special Advocates of South Central Missouri (CASA), DeSherlia has devoted hours of her time to help place children in safe, stable homes. Recently, DeSherlia was recognized for her efforts as the 25th Judicial Circuit's nominee for CASA Volunteer of the Year during the Missouri CASA Conference, held Oct. 18 and 19 at Lake of the Ozarks. DeSherlia was nominated along with outstanding volunteers from about 20 other Missouri circuits that participate in CASA.

"I'm proud to be part of an organization that speaks for children," DeSherlia said. "CASA of South Central Missouri is such a positive environment, and that's why I love volunteering so much."

DeSherlia, along with nearly 30 other CASA volunteers, acts as a voice for children in Phelps County who have been placed in the custody of the state as a result of abuse or neglect. The job of a CASA volunteer is to listen to the children involved in a case to determine their needs are being met and their best interests are being represented. Ultimately, CASA volunteers want to ensure the children they work with are placed in the best possible home environment.

"Our job as volunteers is to get to know the children we are assigned and what is best for them," DeSherlia said. "We speak up for them in the court system."

DeSherlia began volunteering with CASA in 2005 after an article in the local newspaper inspired her to get involved.

"It was a time in my life when I felt like I needed to do something for children," she said. "I wanted to do something that would make a difference in a child's life."

DeSherlia has a long history of working with children. She has been a pediatric nurse at Phelps County Regional Medical Center for the past 19 years and has volunteered her time with the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America. Before going to work at PCRMC, DeSherlia spent eight years operating an in-home daycare.

"I've always worked with children," she said.

As a CASA volunteer, DeSherlia is involved in nearly every aspect of the cases she is assigned by the court. Her responsibilities include maintaining records of the case, interviewing the parties involved, such as family members, social workers and school officials, attending all court hearings and monitoring the child until the case is resolved.

One of DeSherlia's biggest successes with CASA was being able to place three siblings with three different fathers into a single home. This was the first case in which DeSherlia was involved and she worked with parties as far away as Germany in order to determine what was best for the children.

"She diligently worked on her first case for years, and her recommendation to the court to keep the three siblings together was accepted." said Judy Waters, program director of CASA of South Central Missouri. "Even though the children had different fathers, the only constant they had was the fact they had each other and their CASA volunteer throughout the long ordeal."

Waters adds that despite working full time and recently undergoing a hip-replacement operation, DeSherlia has remained committed to CASA and has taken on another case involving three teenaged children.

DeSherlia said being a CASA volunteer is a rewarding experience and gives her the opportunity to be a positive influence in the lives of children.

"It's fun to watch the children grow and to develop a relationship with them that they will remember as a positive in their lives," she said. "I am rewarded just knowing the children I work with are going to have happy lives, and I've been a part of that. It's great knowing that I can make a difference by speaking up for children."

To learn more about CASA of South Central Missouri, visit the organization's Web site at www.casascmo.org. Information about CASA and other services provided by the 25th Judicial Circuit's family court program also can be found online at www.familycourt.us, or at the county clerks' offices in Phelps, Pulaski, Texas and Maries counties.