MCMINNVILLE, Ore. — Yamhill County Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, has entered into a temporary contract to help rebuild Lincoln County’s CASA program after that program lost its certification with the Oregon CASA Network. Lincoln County’s CASA program was formerly administered by the nonprofit organization Voices for Children, which also oversaw the CASA program in Benton County until it was absorbed by CASA of Linn County.
The arrangement is intended to ensure some of Lincoln County’s most vulnerable children do not lose access to advocacy support, with the ultimate goal of creating a fully independent Lincoln County organization.
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Court Appointed Special Advocates programs operate in 48 states and the District of Columbia, according to the National CASA/GAL program’s website. The programs train and oversee volunteers who advocate in court for the best interests of children who have experienced abuse or neglect.
Yamhill County CASA was founded in 1995 by Circuit Court Judge John Collins and is led by Executive Director Sarah Johnson and a seven-member board of directors. It functions in Yamhill County as part of the juvenile dependency court. In Oregon, state law establishes CASA’s role and the right of children in care to have a CASA appointed to their case.
According to Yamhill County CASA executive director Sarah Johnson, Voices for Children took over administration of Lincoln County CASA in 2022, and the Oregon CASA Network approached Yamhill County CASA in June of this year to request assistance in rebuilding the program in Lincoln County after its recent decertification.
Under the new interim contract, Yamhill County CASA will oversee and administer the program during its rebuilding. The contract is expected to last around six months and will end when Lincoln County CASA has achieved recertification and is ready to stand independently. Plans include establishing a transition team to guide development of a new nonprofit organization in the county. The transition team, with Johnson’s oversight, will also oversee ongoing advocacy casework completed by volunteers.
Trained individual advocates work on an unpaid volunteer basis. The transitional contract for Lincoln County will be funded by state taxpayer dollars through the Oregon CASA Network and will not draw on funds earmarked for Yamhill County, according to a recent press release from Yamhill County CASA.
Johnson said the interim contract allows the important work of best-interest advocacy to continue in Lincoln County: “rising tides float all boats, and we (Yamhill County CASA staff and volunteers) are invested in making sure all Oregon CASA programs are strong and stable.”
At the time of this reporting, Lincoln County had 94 children in foster care, 11 of whom had a court-appointed special advocate assigned to their case. Johnson’s role in this temporary contract reflects the strength of Yamhill County’s program and her commitment to CASA’s mission.
“[I] believe that consistency across the network and supporting each other wherever we can is essential to growing to serve every child in foster care,” Johnson said.
“Yamhill County CASA demonstrates an outstanding level of commitment to centering the needs of children in every decision, from their casework to their governance,” said Stephanie Brown, state director for the Oregon CASA Network. “They are generous in their support and organized in their approach. During initial discussions, the team in Yamhill County understood what would be necessary to orchestrate a partnership with Lincoln County and ensure the experience for the children would be as seamless as possible. The Oregon CASA Network is extremely grateful for their leadership during this transition.”
While work to stabilize Lincoln County CASA is just beginning, Yamhill County CASA continues to operate as usual.
“The confidence placed in Yamhill County CASA reflects the dedication of our volunteers, the leadership of our board and staff, and the support of our community partners,” Johnson said in a press release. “Together, we’re honored to help ensure children continue to have a voice in court while Lincoln County builds a strong, sustainable future.”
Disclosure: Reporter Hanna Laney currently serves as a volunteer court-appointed special advocate in Yamhill County and has previously served in Clackamas County.
