Adoptive, foster children in Anne Arundel County receive free grooming at Odenton barbershop
An Odenton barbershop is providing free haircuts for foster and adoptive children.
The buzz of clippers is a sound that means fresh cuts and smiles on the faces of two young boys under the care of Vanessa Thompson.
"They feel handsome. They talk about their look, they want to put on clothes that go along with how they look. It's a difference. It really is," Thompson said.
A difference thanks to the Foster Adoptive Cuts Campaign. Rob’s Barbershop Community Foundation is offering free cuts at Rival’s Barbershop in Odenton for foster and adoptive children.
The project was created to make grooming services accessible to target populations with barriers to regular haircare.
"Found out that 31% of foster kids live in homes with parents of a different race and 50% don't have the knowledge and skills to groom them," Robert Cradle said.
To qualify, you must be an Anne Arundel County foster parent or have adopted a child.
Not only can your child get groomed free of charge, but the barbers are also giving parents the skills and tools to do this themselves.
"Rob spoke with me through zoom and taught me about hair. The textures, the types of products you use on it and sent me tools to begin to practice on it, as well as a dummy’s head," Thompson said.
The program lasts through December.