In 1977, a Seattle judge conceived the idea of using trained community volunteers to speak for the best interests of abused and neglected children in court. So successful was this program that soon judges across the country began utilizing citizen advocates. In 1990, the US Congress encouraged the expansion of CASA programs with the passage of the Victims of Child Abuse Act.
In 1995, CASA of Lane County was founded to serve abused and neglected children age 0-17 in Lane County. In 2004, the organization was the first program in Oregon to successfully complete the National CASA Certification process.
Today, there are more than 1,050 local community CASA program offices nationwide.
In its 15-year history, CASA of Lane County has helped to change the lives of nearly 4,000 children by providing them with powerful advocacy. Currently CASA of Lane County serves approximately 300 children annually with 160 volunteers and 11 staff.
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