CASA of Marion County is Moving

CASA OF MARION COUNTY, NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO ADVOCATING FOR CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE, BIDS FAREWELL TO KEIZER AND SAYS HELLO TO SALEM...

Casa of Marion County is vacating its leased office space located at 3530 River rd N in Keizer and moving to Salem. CASA has leased the River Rd Location for several years. With the River Road lease set to expire in the spring of 2025, CASA took the opportunity to explore properties closer to the juvenile courthouse and other stakeholder in Salem. The CASA Board of Directors unanimously voted to approve entering into a lease agreement for office space located at 454 17th Street NE in Salem.

"CASA has proudly called Keizer home for several years," said Randy Franke, CASA Board President, "and we will miss our Keizer neighbors. But our new locations offers significant advantages for our team, starting with a shorter commute to juvenile court." CASA are legal parties to foster children in juvenile court cases brought in Marion County Circuit Court. Judges appoint CASAs to appear on behalf of hundreds of children in foster care in Marion County juvenile court. Marion County's juvenile court is located at 2970 Center St NE in Salem. CASA's new Salem location is a three-minute drive from Marion County's juvenile court.

"My staff and I will dearly miss Keizer. We are deeply grateful for the kindness that the people of Keizer have shown us", said Vanessa Nordyke, CASA Executive Director. "We are always happy to come back to speak to Keizer neighborhood associations, businesses, and civic groups about our work. And, I'm excited to report that we will be back in Keizer on Saturday, April 26, 2025 for our springtime fundraiser at the Keizer Civic Center! Although we will no longer be headquartered in Keizer, our commitment to children is countywide. We are dutybound under Oregon law to stand up for abused and neglected children in Keizer, Woodburn, Salem, and other communities across Marion County. We will never stop advocating for our kids, no matter where they call home."

The Salem location offers closer proximity to the Oregon State Legislature, where Nordyke and other CASA leaders plan to advocate for an increase in state funding. As Nordyke points our, "Most people don't know that Oregon promised but never delivered the funding for CASA."  Oregon law required the appointment of a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) to every foster case:

        "In every case under ORS Chapter 419B, the court shall appoint a court appointed special         advocate." ORS 419B.112(1).

The statuary duties of a CASA are to:
        "(a) investigate all relevant information about the case;
         (b) Advocate for the child, or ward, ensuring that all relevant facts are brought before the court;
         (c) Facilitate and negotiate to ensure that the court, the Department of Human Services, if                  applicable, and the child or ward's attorney, if any, fulfill their obligations to the child or ward in a                timely fashion; and
         (d) Monitor all court orders to ensure compliance and to bring to the court's attention any change in           circumstances that may require a modification of an order of the court." ORS 419B.112(2).

In practice, this means CASAs build relationships with the youth they serve. CASAs identify recommendations to the court which are tailored to each child's culturally-specific needs, as well as their medical, educational, behavioral, and physical safety needs.

Oregon created the Court Appointed Special Advocate Fund for the purpose of carrying out the CASA mandate:
        "The Court Appointed Special Advocate Fund is established within the State treasury, separate and         distinct from the General Fund...Moneys in the fund are continuously appropriated to the Oregon         Department of Administrative Services for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of ORS         184.492 (Duties) and 419B.112 (Court Appointed Special Advocate)." ORS 184-498.

(Emphasis added). CASA of Marion County, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, recruits, trains, and supervises CASAs for foster care cases brought in Marion County Circuit Court. There is a CASA program in every county, statewide. Unfortunately, the State of Oregon has never fully funded the CASA. As a result, 36% of Oregon children in foster care do not have a CASA.

Learn more about CASA of Marion County by visiting http://www.casamarionor.org