A Fall 2018 DLab Case Study
The Friendly Forces team worked to help improve the mental health of children in the foster care system. Friendly Forces identified one of the main traumas for kids living in foster care can be the initial removal from their homes by police officers. From this problem, Friendly Forces created the following research question, “How might we create a less traumatic experience for kids who are forcibly removed from their home and put in foster care?”
The solution to this question was redesigned multiple times throughout ideation and prototyping before the team came to its final solution. Friendly Forces bags are filled with a packing list, food, water, a blanket, and a flashlight that would be given to children by police officers on the night they are removed to help reduce the chaos and discomfort a child experiences. The Friendly Forces team then coordinated with the Boise Police Department and produced the packages for SROs (School Resource Officers) to have in their patrol cars.
While the foster care system is complex, and the issues facing children are significant, the Friendly Forces design team is confident that their solution will provide officers and social workers with a meaningful and helpful resource to ensure a child has the essentials they need to feel a little more comfortable over the course of a very challenging time.
Design Team: Grace S., May D., Seamus M., and Riley R.
