Our History

“While sitting at juvenile court, I never got a night’s sleep without waking to wonder if at least one decision I made that day had been the best for a child. It struck me that it might be possible to recruit and train volunteers to investigate a child’s case so they could provide a voice for the child in those proceedings, proceedings which could affect their whole lives.”

-Judge David W. Soukup, Founder of CASA

In 1977, Judge Soukup had a vision that would change the lives of abused and neglected children forever. He imagined a community of trained volunteers who could advocate for these children in court. This idea gave birth to Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), a powerful voice for vulnerable children in Lane County.