Arizona Nonprofit Look Of Love Provides Foster Kids With Free Hair Care

By Lauren Gilger
Published: Monday, December 3, 2018 - 2:23pm
Updated: Sunday, December 9, 2018 - 12:17pm

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Mark Kincaid
Lauren Gilger/KJZZ
Mark Kincaid at his salon in Phoenix.

When you think about the needs of foster kids, you might think about stable parenting, good schools and a roof over their heads. But, when Niya Parks was working for a child services agency a few years ago, she noticed something else.

She said hair seems like a small thing, but it can be a big challenge, especially for African-American kids with more textured hair.

So she started asking if there anything they could do to help these kids with their hair. There didn’t seem to be any resources for foster parents or those running group homes for this. So, she decided to start her own.

Parks founded the Look of Love, a nonprofit organization that aims to provide free hair care for foster kids and homeless youth in search of employment. She’s just getting it off the ground, but says the need is high.

The Show talked to her recently to learn more about it.

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