Applying Co-designing Methods to Information-Seeking Systems with North Carolina Foster Parents

Considering the significant role information systems play in resource accessibility, my poster will focus on one aspect of my dissertation: establishing connections with vulnerable groups. Presently, one key issue in foster parent retention is the inadequacy of resources and support systems, influencing their decision to cease providing foster care. Child welfare researchers call to include foster parent perspectives in designing interventions, but limited research has applied such data. Therefore, this work emphasizes participatory research methods and prioritizing relationship building with foster parents. I seek to understand the information-seeking behavior of rural North Carolina foster parents and plan to facilitate co-designing workshops with stakeholders. The process of building trust with this community provides insights that will contribute to the participatory development of future inclusive and effective information systems.