ACF Launches 2012 Fatherhood Buzz Barbershop Tour to Raise Awareness About Responsible Fatherhood and Parenting

WASHINGTON, June 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Administration for Children and Families' Office of Family Assistance in partnership with President Obama's Fatherhood Initiative will launch the 2012 Fatherhood Buzz Barbershop Tour, a pilot outreach initiative designed to increase awareness about responsible fatherhood and parenting through local barbershops. As coordinated by the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse, the tour will take place on the eve of Father's Day, Saturday, June 16, 2012 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

"Fatherhood is the most important job a dad could have," said George Sheldon, Acting Assistant Secretary for Children and Families. "This tour takes our involvement to a whole new level by going into local barbershops and providing the resources men need to be loving, compassionate, involved parents for their children and families."

President Obama's Fatherhood Initiative is a multi-year effort to help fathers connect with their families coordinated by the Office of Public Engagement and the Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships within the White House.  Through this initiative, President Obama has joined with fathers around the country to send a strong message about personal responsibility while supporting dads who want to be there for their kids. 

The Fatherhood Buzz Barbershop Tour will provide an in-person briefing and orientation for selected barbershops using the Barbershop Engagement Toolkit which contains facts, advice, and community resources that barbers can use to promote responsible fatherhood and to serve as a resource to their customers. A total of 25 barbershops were selected based on a good standing status of their licensing and barbers. The tour includes eight cities (Albany, NY, Atlanta, GA, Chicago, IL, Los Angeles, CA, Milwaukee, WI, New York, NY, Philadelphia, PA, and Washington, DC). Each barbershop will receive posters to display in their shop, information to distribute to clients on economic stability and parenting tips.

"We will continue to send a strong message and remind fathers about the important role they play in society," said Earl Johnson, director for the Office of Family Assistance. "This pilot program will encourage fathers to network and engage in those healthy, positive conversations that will help strengthen their relationships with their children." 

As a part of the President Obama's Fatherhood Initiative, Fatherhood Buzz is a pilot program of The National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (NRFC), an established, national and international resource for fathers, practitioners, researchers, and policymakers.  

Note: All ACF news releases, fact sheets and other materials are available at: www.acf.hhs.gov/opa/index.html.

SOURCE National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse