Belong
Meaningful Connections for Aged-Out Foster Youths
Role
Responsible for end-to-end research, conceptualization, design and Usability testing
Timeline
November 2023- December 2023
Project type
Mobile Application
Problem Statement
How might we help aged-out older youths (18 - 25 years) based in Indiana gain social support and a sense of belonging through personal connections and a safe environment?
Solution
We propose a platform connecting aged-out foster youth (18 and above) with trustworthy elders (40 - 65 years) who can provide both emotional and informational support. These elder figures will serve as trusted confidants for a range of topics. While open to aged-out foster youth of any age, our primary focus is on users aged 18 to 25, recognizing their vulnerability during the transition to independence. Our system empowers them with a chosen "go-to" person for support.
Design Process
Initial Problem Discovery
What problem are we trying to solve?
Aging out of Foster care: Foster children who don't get adopted often have to go from one foster home to another until they reach a specific age limit set by the state. In Indiana, the older youth age out of the system at 18 years. Aging out is the process of a youth transitioning from the foster care system toward independent living.
As per FY 2021, 8,691 older youth aged out of foster homes in the state of Indiana, out of which only 1,844 were adopted, leaving 1,624 with termination of parental rights who were left alone to survive independently without any guidance or family support.
Why is this problem important?
Indiana is home to
31,000
children in foster care & has the fourth-highest rate of youth in foster care in the nation
In FY 2021
6,847
older youth aged out of the system without getting adopted with no legal family connections
In FY 2021
67%
aged-out foster youths reported experiencing extreme sense of loneliness and isolation
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Understanding target audience
Whose problem are we solving?
The primary users are aged-out foster youth between the ages of 18 to 25 who are looking for emotional support and parental guidance. The initial years after getting out of the system are very crucial for these youths as they navigate through an independent life. Our platform would be open to youth from any age group over 18, although we primarily aim to market and target users aged 18 to 25 years as they’re in the most fragile years of being on their own and needing that support.
The secondary users include individuals who may be empty nesters (parents whose children have grown up and left home), foster parents who empathize with and understand the needs of these youths, and others willing to donate their time and engage in social work.
Empathize
What did we do?
Primary and Secondary Research
Interviews
Why Interviews?
Interviews allowed us to gather in-depth information and personal stories from foster youth and caregivers. Surveys or questionnaires might not capture the nuances of their experiences.
​
I along with my teammates, visited a foster care center and, interviewed 3 staff (including Vice President of Fostering and Adoption Services) and 1 aged-out alumnus.
Interview notes
What did we take away from our Research
Lack of necessary skills
Foster care background & limited commitment options lead to high unemployment rate (47%) for aged-out youth.
Lack of social support
Exiting foster care, older youth fear making a living due to limited decision-making, seeking support from mentors to navigate. Constant survival mode.
Instability after leaving the foster care system
Leaving foster care leads to instability: homelessness, unemployment, and struggles. (31-46% experience homelessness)
What has been done to address this problem?
There have been various initiatives taken by the government and other foster care organizations to develop platforms to help connect aged-out individuals with vital resources for self-sufficiency. Notable among them are:
Youth.gov
Federal agencies (HHS, Education, Labor) team up to support foster youth transitions.
Sparkle by Firefly
An app for foster youth: Secure repository for documents, housing, food, job & emotional support
Indiana State Assistance
Post-foster care program: Personalized support (housing, tuition) based on need & eligibility.
Ideation
Ideation and Brainstorming
Exploring opportunities
2 key design opportunities were proposed to meet the needs of the user after the brainstorming process
Based on criteria's such as long-term or short-term need, the presence of new issues, and research gaps in existing solutions, we found two systems with the most potential and feasibility: emotional support and community, and job placement and employment assistance.
System 1
Scenario 1
Persona- Aged out foster youth
Problem: Foster kids often experience an emotional void due to a lack of strong parental connections.
Solution: Our app connects them with virtual mentors ("elders") for emotional support.
Benefit: These connections can become deep and meaningful, fostering a sense of family for children in foster care.
Scenario 2
Persona- An empty nester
Problem: Jane (empty nester) feels a lack of purpose after her children leave home.
Solution: Jane joins our platform as an "elder" mentor, seeking connection and a chance to give back.
Benefit: A bond develops between Jane and Jack (former foster youth) through ongoing calls, creating a positive and meaningful relationship for both.
Out of 2 systems, what we found the most potential in was the one for emotional support and community. In order to build the system that we are proposing, which aims to cater to their need for meaningful connections for aged-out youth, the project requirements can be categorized as follows:
Rationale behind choosing this system
This system tackles the critical problem of foster kids struggling to establish long-term deep bonds due to frequent relocations. Our choice is grounded in the belief that it is a more effective solution, as it directly addresses the challenge of forming lasting connections for foster children.
User needs
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Foster youth crave meaningful personal connections.
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Short stays hinder relationships.
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Impact on mental well being, health, decision making abilities.
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Constant survival Mode
Business needs
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Market Gap: Emotional Support
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Potential to pioneer and scale
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Make a real impact and stand out in the market
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Making a meaningful difference while advancing their own success.
Technical needs
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Real-time communication
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Matching algorithm
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Integration with DCS APIs
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Data backup and recovery
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Customer safety support
This approach ensures that our chosen system not only meets the needs of foster kids that we found through research, but also stands out as a unique and valuable solution in the market that has a potential to create an impact in the lives of aged-out foster youth.
Solution
The Solution
Proposed Solution
Belong
A platform connecting aged-out foster youth (18 to 25) with trustworthy elders (40 - 65 years) who can provide both emotional and informational support.
-
These elder figures will serve as trusted confidants for a range of topics.
-
While open to aged-out foster youth of any age, our primary focus is on users aged 18 to 25, recognizing their vulnerability during the transition to independence.
-
Our system empowers them with a chosen "go-to" person for support.
Core Values
Finding Connections
Connect youth with wise elders for lasting support - a unique opportunity not easily found elsewhere
Sustaining those connections
Build deeper youth-elder connections. Platform fosters meaningful interactions beyond calls.
Design Explorations & Iterations
Translating the ideas into screens
Validation
Validating the system
After designing our solution, we spoke to 4 experts, closely working with aged-out foster youth. These confirmed the importance of fostering connections for their well-being.
Key Recommendation
Chat Section Enhancement
The absence of a chat deletion feature is a notable drawback. Prioritizing this addition aligns with the platform's goal of providing users with control over their interactions, enhancing privacy and autonomy.
Visual Design
Moodboard
Color Palette
Primary Color
#3360E8
Secondary Colors
#E5F1FB
#F1F3F7
#DDDDDD
Font Colors
#000925
#919191
Components
Iconography
Final Designs
Youth Onboarding
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Every kid in the foster care system gets a unique id from the Department of Child Services (DCS), during the onboarding process, we ask them to enter this ID for verification
Initial Matching
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Youth share location, interests, and desired topics with elders.
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System matches youth with suitable elders.
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Youth undergo a brief training video on effective conversations and potential challenges.
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Post-training, they answer 10 questions to reinforce learning.
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Post-training, the platform generates 3 potential matches using the connection algorithm.
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Unlike life circumstances, youth have the autonomy to choose the elder they connect with.
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Upon making a choice, they view the elder's available slots and schedule a call.
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Tips on initiating, breaking the ice, and sustaining the conversation are provided after scheduling the first call.
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Additional tips can be explored by clicking on "know more."
Connecting on a Call
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After scheduling, the "Join Call" button appears on the home screen under "Upcoming Calls."
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A successful conversation allows the youth to rate and add elders to favorites for quick access.
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This preference input aids the system in finding similar and relevant connections for the youth.
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If issues arise during a call (e.g., inappropriate language or unusual requests), users can click the "Report" button to end the call.
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After providing details about the problem, a representative contacts both the elder and the youth to address and understand the issue.
Help and Report
Future Directions
01 Prioritizing Improvements and New Features
Due to time constraints, I wasn't able to fully explore all potential improvements. However, building on usability testing results, I will prioritize enhancements to existing features and investigate the development of additional functionalities that can further strengthen our solution's effectiveness.
02 Elder-centric design
While initial designs focused on the youth experience, there is a need to optimize the app for our elders as well. I will prioritize design iterations that cater to their unique needs and viewpoints within Belong's system.
03 Validating the concept with more users
Initial usability testing provided valuable insights, but to ensure Belong seamlessly caters to both youth and elders, I will conduct a broader validation process.
Team
Apurva Ulabhaje
Kasturi Joshi
Mohini Gaikwad
Saloni Naik
Tanvi Joshi
