Roots of Change cares about young people’s hair

A healthy head of hair can be a child’s crowning glory, a source of pride, well-being and self-esteem.

​And for three years, Donna Parrish and a group of volunteers have made sure that children in foster, adoptive or kinship placement get the opportunity to look and feel beautiful through the annual Roots of Change Hair-A-thon.

“When a child is placed outside of their community and/or family of origin, they need to have the tools available to preserve their cultural heritage. This includes hair products that prevent them from being at risk of being ostracized and/or unhealthy,” said Parrish, assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics and associate director for diversity and inclusion at the Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.

“Child welfare professionals and service providers need to understand the ‘cost’ associated with not providing for these needs, including psychological, emotional and physical threats to these children’s well-being,” she said.

The Roots of Change concept started as an idea Parrish jotted down in a notebook when she was a youth treatment counselor at a residential treatment center in 1993. 

“I’d witnessed the disparate access and availability that residents/clients had to adequate and necessary hair care and hygiene products, and a lack of knowledge to maintain hair and skin health,” she said.

In the early 2000s, Parrish approached Tonya Chaney, owner of Mykal Grant Salon, and the pair began planning their first event. The inaugural Roots of Change Hair-a-thon in 2013 received the endorsement, support and sponsorship of the Kempe Center. This August, the Mykal Grant Salon was joined by Crowning Glory Hair Salon and Montbello Barbers in providing 25 children and youths – 20 girls and five boys – new do’s.

Roots of Change targets – but is not limited to – African-Americans ages 7 to 17 in foster, adoptive or kinship placement, Parrish said. “There is a significant need to understand that basic hair care is a fundamental right for these kids and not a privilege.”

When a child is in a placement setting, or a cross-cultural placement, staff and caregivers seldom know how to assist with hair, Parrish said. The salons take time to provide not only a service but educational resources such as the proper way to comb, detangle and apply products. Each participant also is provided with the tools to sustain their new look. 

Over the past three years, Parrish has seen 75 young people transformed – and not just their hair.

“When participants walk into the salon, they are usually disheveled and unkempt, their head is down, they rarely make eye contact and they report not feeling good about themselves,” she said. “We’ve observed an instant transformation in clients when they are turned around and look in the mirror. The clients smile, touch their hair and say things like, ‘I never knew I could look this way,’  ‘I love it’ or ‘I am really pretty.’ This experience fosters confidence and a sense of normalization, especially for our girls of color who participate.”   

Parrish said the event is really big for cross-racial adoptions and placements.

“The most heart-touching  event was last year when a newly adoptive white couple brought in their biracial children – boy and girl – and the dad received instructions on how to detangle, put her hair in a ponytail and do ringlets,” she said. “He was so proud and the daughter was so thrilled to have her father take interest in her hair.” 

Sponsors such as the partnering salons, The Colorado Trust and others aim to ensure this confidence is instilled in these children for years to come.

“This is why we do the work,” Parrish said. 

Give to Roots of Change

2016 Roots of Change sponsors include: The Kempe Center, Mykal Grant Salon, Crowning Glory Hair Salon, Adams County Colorado, The Colorado Trust, M.B. Barbers, CASA for Children, A Precious Child, Kymora Jaxson, Knot Genie Detangling Brush, Design Essentials Salon System.