Columbia Gorge CASA Strengthens Its Commitment to Wasco County

As the number of children entering foster care in Wasco County has continued to rise over the past few years, Columbia Gorge CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is expanding its local presence through a new satellite office in The Dalles and the addition of seven newly trained volunteer advocates.

According to the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) Office of Reporting, Research, Analytics and Implementation (ORRAI), the number of children in foster care in Wasco County increased by 38% between 2022 and 2025.

Over the past fiscal year, Columbia Gorge CASA served 100 children—the highest number since the pandemic—but the nonprofit still has a waitlist of children that could benefit from having an advocate.

On June 4, Columbia Gorge CASA celebrated the opening of its satellite office at 314 Lincoln St. in The Dalles with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The new office provides a welcoming space for volunteers and community partners while strengthening the organization's ability to recruit and support advocates in Wasco County.

Just a few weeks later, on June 23, Judge Karen Ostrye swore in a new group of CASA volunteers. Most of the newly sworn-in advocates completed their training in The Dalles. They include Taylor England, Paula Lindquist, Tiana Peterson, Destiny Stohler, and Annette Stroud. Cassandra Nelson and Joe Stewart also completed training and will be sworn in at a later date.

Each volunteer completed 35 hours of training and will now serve as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), building relationships with children, gathering information from the important adults in their lives, and providing independent recommendations to the court to help judges make decisions in each child's best interest.

These new advocates will make an immediate difference, but the need for volunteers continues across Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman counties.

LEARN ABOUT BECOMING AN ADVOCATE!