The Suffolk County Fatherhood Initiative Joins Up With Obama Program

Sometimes a simple haircut is all it takes.

The Retreat, a Hamptons hub for preventing domestic violence, is joining up with President Barack Obama’s Fatherhood Buzz project, The National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse and six barbershops across Suffolk County to encourage men to be responsible parents.

“If you find any barber shop, there is inter-generational dialogue between men and boys,” said Romarie McCue, the deputy program director of The Suffolk County Fatherhood Initiative, which is a part of The Retreat. “We want to engage barbers to use that.”

The program encourages fathers to go to barber shops and talk about having a healthy relationship with their family. A report by The U.S. Census said that one-in-three children grow up without a biological father in their homes.

The barbershops are in Wyandach, Bellport, Selden and Brentwood will be handing out literature from The Suffolk County Fatherhood Initiative whose goal includes targeting fathers who are at risk of becoming perpetrators of domestic violence. Men account for 90 percent of all domestic violence. Sometimes it is due to social or economic strain.

“They start out talking saying they need someone to help with a resume,” McCue said. “Guess what? The Suffolk County Fatherhood community does that.”

For more information about The Retreat, visit The Retreat Inc.. For more information about The National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse and President Obama’s Fatherhood Buzz project, visit fatherhood.gov.