Inaugural 'I Am For the Child' Fest Saturday

NEW ORLEANS- Casa Jefferson's 1st Annual I am for the Child Music Festival is a free one day event full of music, local beer, and fundraising. Local New Orleans musicians will keep you dancing all day while we bring awareness to the challenges our children in foster care face. Local food vendors will cook-up some delicious treats. Come out, eat, drink and dance while helping make a difference in a child’s life.

When: Saturday, March 18, 2017

Time: 11:00 am to 6:00 pm

Where: Al Copeland Concert Meadow, Lafreniere Park,

3000 Downs Blvd., Metairie, LA, 70003

Performances by

DJ Mattik

The Topcats

12:15 pm

2005 Louisiana Hall of Fame Inductees

‘The Hardest Working Band in the New Orleans Area’

Cuisine

4:15 pm

A local favorite 70’s & 80’s Power Horn Rock Cover Band.

Tank and the Bangas

3:15 pm

2014 Offbeat ‘Best of The Beat Emerging Artist of the Year Award recipients.

New Orleans Big Easy Awards ‘Band of the Year’ recipient.

Just Right Band

11:00 am

NOLA’s premier quintet that’s preserving its’ spirit with their blend of R&B, smooth jazz and Southern Soul

Lil Red and Big Bad

2:00 pm

A great mix of blues, R&B, and rock & roll delivered with a lot of soul.  Add to the mix the energy and stage performance of Nancy (Lil’ Red) Gros – who delivers an electrifying performance.

Our Vision:

Our vision is to have volunteers recruited, trained, and assigned to every child in the foster care system in Jefferson Parish.

Our Mission:

To break the cycle of child abuse and neglect through volunteers advocating for safe, nurturing, and permanent homes for foster children in our community.

Who we help:

Children who are removed from their homes because of reported abuse and/or neglect and are placed in foster care situations. During a lengthy and complex process, a judge will determine where they may safely and permanently placed. This is where an advocate steps in.

Why is CASA so important?

Every child deserves to grow and learn in a safe and loving home. However, for thousands of children around the nation, violence, neglect, and maltreatment are all they know. Nationally, 686,000 children were found to be victims of maltreatment in 2012; 8,458 of these victims are from Louisiana.

Children whose homes are no longer safe for them to return to are placed in the confusing and oftentimes overwhelming world of foster care. That’s where CASA Jefferson comes in.

Court-Appointed Special Advocates are appointed by judges to serve as the voice for children in foster care. By getting to know their assigned child and the people involved in the child’s life, Advocates can fight for the best interest of the child and serve as a consistent, responsible, adult presence in their life. Through recommendations made in court, Advocates ensure that their CASA child’s needs are being met and that they’re not lost in our overburdened child welfare system.