The Kids Nobody Was Speaking For
342 kids in Marion County are in foster care right now. Only 92 have someone in their corner.
CASA was created to ensure that kids have a voice.
Not a lawyer for the state. Not a lawyer for the parents. Someone for the kid. Just the kid.
That leaves 250 without one. That's the number that makes me pause.
I sat down with Susie Rice this week. She's the development director at CASA of Marion County. And she explained what that one missing person actually is.
What is CASA?
CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. When a kid ends up in foster care, a judge can assign them a CASA: a trained volunteer whose only job is to speak up for that child. Not the state. Not the parents. Just the kid. They get to know the child, show up consistently, and make sure the court hears what that kid actually needs. One steady adult in the middle of a hard situation. That's it. That's the whole idea.
The idea started in the late 70s. A judge in Seattle realized something was broken. Not everyone in a foster care case had a voice. The parents had attorneys. The state had representation. But the kid had nobody.
In 1987, Oregon mandated that every county have CASA. So every kid in foster care here gets a shot at having someone assigned to them.
And that someone works for the kid. Only the kid.
Not the state. Not the biological parents. Not the resource families. Not the lawyers.
Just the child.
Susie was a foster mom herself.
She told me what it looked like when kids showed up at her door. Sometimes 9:30 at night. A garbage bag and a box from the state. A toothbrush. A pair of socks. That was everything they owned.
The garbage bags aren't allowed anymore, thank goodness.
CASA keeps a resource room across from her office now. Toys. Coloring books. Backpacks. A kid gets to pick something that's theirs. Something that stays with them even if they get moved again.
For some of these kids, it's the first thing they've ever owned.
I asked her what success looks like.
She told me about a girl who came in around her early teens. Rough situation. Same CASA for eight years.
That CASA was at her high school graduation. Then college. Then her wedding. There the whole time.
Kids with a CASA graduate high school at much higher rates. Why? Consistency. Somebody who stays.
Then there's the small stuff. A volunteer learns a kid's birthday is coming. Learns the kid loves the clown on the bike at the circus. And the next day, a cake shows up at the office, decorated exactly like that.
That's trust. And trust is the whole job.
I asked what she wishes every person in Salem understood.
She got emotional. Then she said it.
They did nothing wrong. They're the sweetest humans in the world. They just want a happy life. Same as the rest of us.
Which brings me back to that gap.
250 kids in this county are waiting on a voice. Not because CASA turns them away. Because there aren't enough volunteers.
You have to be 21 or older to be a CASA volunteer. If you felt that pull reading this, that's the first step. Learn more at casamarionor.org or call 503-967-6420.
Some of you reading this are exactly who they're waiting for.
And if you want to show up this Saturday, here's your chance.
The Superhero Run returns Saturday, June 20, at Salem Riverfront Park.
Here's the rundown. There's a free one-mile fun run, plus ticketed 5K and 10K events. It's kid-friendly and superhero-approved, and costumes are strongly encouraged. There's even a Superhero Costume Contest with adult and youth divisions, so dressing up isn't just allowed, it's the whole point.
Who shows up? Everybody. Adults in capes. Kids in capes. People flying in from out of state, some from Canada. All of them running for kids in foster care.
Susie's going full red, white, and blue. No superhero name yet. We're working on it.
She doesn't call it a fundraiser, though. She calls it a friend raiser. The money matters. But the real win is someone walking past, seeing the capes, and asking what CASA is.
Now you already know.
Want to run, walk, wear a cape, or volunteer at the event? Register or sign up at casamarionor.org/superhero, or email [email protected]. Either way, you're showing 342 kids that this city sees them.
See you at the park.
Jacob