Casa Information

The CASA of Douglas County program is a private, non-profit agency founded in 1993 by local attorneys, the Juvenile Court Judge and local youth service providers. The agency is in Roseburg, Oregon and serves all of rural Douglas County. Agency founders saw a local need to provide advocates for abused and neglected children who have been placed in foster care. They believed each child deserved an objective community volunteer to focus on the case from the child's perspective, assuring that their needs are met and that ultimately the child is part of a safe permanent and loving family. When a child enters the foster care system because his or her home is no longer safe, a judge may appoint a committed volunteer to help. That volunteer is called a Court Appointed Special Advocate, or CASA. CASA volunteers are screened, highly trained and then appointed by judges to represent and advocate for a child's best interests in the child protection system. CASA volunteers are assigned to one or two cases so they can focus on giving them the individualized advocacy and attention they need. CASA volunteers save taxpayers' money and children's futures by helping children find a safe, permanent home as soon as possible. CASA of Douglas County, Inc. provides valuable volunteer advocacy for abused children. CASA volunteers serve as the "eyes and ears" for the judges in child welfare cases. This includes researching each child's situation and making objective recommendations to help them reclaim their childhoods from abuse and neglect. CASA volunteers are frequently the only stable presence in these children's lives. CASA volunteers bring three critical qualities to their work: they focus on one or two cases at a time; they bring the child's perspective to the judge; and their sole objective is representing the best interests of the child.