Monday, July 5, 2021 | 2 a.m.
Child Protective Services took Rachel Esquivel's three children after a person she trusted hit her son, she said.
"It was very devastating. I didn't know what to do or who could help me" said Esquivel, whose children were in foster care a little over a year.
Esquivel, who is originally from Arizona and has lived in Las Vegas for 30 years, turned to drugs and alcohol to numb the pain, she said.
"Not only did I lose them, I lost everything else," she said.
Esquivel said she wouldn’t have gotten her children back if it hadn't been for Mimi Merhi, a volunteer with the Court Appointed Special Advocates program.
"She would stand up for me in court and go to every court hearing," Esquivel said.
Merhi worked with Esquivel's mother to get Esquivel into a sober-living program. "She knew I wanted my kids back," said Esquivel, who was reunited with her children in January 2016.
The Court Appointed Special Advocate program in Las Vegas has 381 volunteers, but there are more than 3,500 foster children in Clark County, said Mary Ann Price, a spokeswoman for Nevada Eighth Judicial District Court, which handles family and juvenile cases. More volunteers are needed, program officials said.
The CASA program trains volunteers who are appointed by judges to guide children through the foster care system. They work with everyone in the child's life, from social workers to attorneys, parents, teachers, family members, foster parents and healthcare professionals.
The children “often can't speak for themselves and can't always clearly articulate their needs, so advocating on their behalf is important so they can have a voice," said Merhi, who has been a CASA volunteer for 11 years.
Volunteers stay on cases until the child is placed in a permanent home, which could be a couple months to several years.
Merhi said she gets to know the children and works to build their trust, sometimes taking them out to eat, to the movies or museums.
Volunteers must make a two-year commitment, pass a background check and complete 33 hours of training.
"It's not an easy role, but its an absolutely rewarding role that is definitely worth the time," Merhi said.
For more information about becoming a CASA volunteer, call 702-455-4306 or go online to www.casalasvegas.org.
