In Oregon, there isn’t enough money to give every foster child a Court Appointed Special Advocate.
State Representative Duane Stark is trying to change that.
Representative Stark says only 44 percent of foster children have a CASA.
He’s hoping a house bill can turn that percentage into 100.
“Having a voice for a child in the court system… it means a lot to these families,” former CASA volunteer Sandra Sherman said.
For a year, Sandra Sherman volunteered as a CASA.
As a Court Appointed Special Advocate, she helped a foster child through the legal system.
“I was able to be there for them when I said I was going to be and have that stable person in their lives that they just weren’t used to,” Sherman said.
Getting these children to a safe, permanent home is the goal.
However, without enough funding there aren’t enough CASA’s to meet the Oregon mandate of giving one to every foster child.
That’s why State Representative Duane Stark is spearheading House Bill 2171.
“It’s important to me because as a foster and adoptive parent, I’ve seen the difference between having a CASA and not having a CASA,” Representative Stark said.
With a national standard of one paid supervisor per 30 volunteer CASA’s, Stark’s bill would fund enough supervisors to give every foster child in state custody a CASA.
Which would allow more CASA’s like Sherman to help children in need.
“You love these families and you want to help them as much as possible,” Sherman said.
Representative Stark says he hopes to have a vote on the bill soon.
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