VINCENNES — As the clock struck noon in the Knox County Superior Court One room on Wednesday, Brenda Shaw took an oath to be the voice for the voiceless and became an official volunteer for Knox County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate).

In the seats, county officials and others witnessed as Shaw raised her right hand and repeated back the Knox County CASA oath to Honorable Judge Gara U. Lee.

Holly Hillenbrand, Knox County CASA volunteer coordinator, shared with those in attendance that even though Shaw had just become an official Knox County CASA volunteer, her experience brings years’ worth of knowledge. In the past, she has worked with the Department of Child Services, provided in-home services and worked with the Early Head Start Migrant program.

“I often say with Brenda that I am the trainer, but she’s the teacher,” Hillenbrand said. “Because through this process, she’s probably taught me just as much as I’ve taught her.”

In total, Shaw spent 35 hours training and preparing on how to best represent the county’s children in the court system who need an adult to stand up for them, be their voice, and make sure the best choices for the child are made, even if that doesn’t align with what the family wants.

Judge Lee said that she has worked with CASA since she first started her career as a public defender, and she always finds each swearing-in of a volunteer emotional, as CASA volunteers are so often the ones who consistently support the children in court.

“CASA volunteers are invaluable to me in the CHINS (Child in Need of Service) process; they are able to go out and do some things I obviously can’t do…” Judge Lee said. “Oftentimes, CASA can provide another perspective… At times, it can really change the dynamics of the case and the direction where the case is going, not just being valuable to me, they’re also obviously very valuable to the children themselves.”

Shaw signed the paperwork documenting her promise and thanked everyone in attendance for sharing the special moment with her.

Denise Swink, Knox County CASA executive director, said that the timing of swearing in Shaw on April 1 couldn’t have been better, as April is National Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Month and they are always looking for volunteers. As of Wednesday, there are still dozens of children on the waitlist.

For more information about Knox County CASA, visit knoxcountycasa.com.