BOSTON—Innovation thrives at the intersection of unexpected collaborations. This week, Foster America and MIT brought together experts from two fields that rarely coincide—child welfare and technology—for a groundbreaking event at the MIT Media Lab.
At the 2024 Fostering Futures Forum, people with lived expertise in the foster care system drew from their personal experiences to shed light on the challenges faced by youth in the child welfare system.
Co-presenting alongside skilled technologists, they proposed tech-based solutions that if developed could lessen the trauma youth experience when separated from their families. The two-day event brought together a diverse audience of child welfare leaders, advocates, funders, and other key stakeholders in efforts to transform how our nation serves families.
Every year, 7 million children are reported to child protective services, and 600,000 are separated from their families and placed in foster care. Foster America envisions a reality where those numbers are far smaller, with families receiving the support they need to raise their children before the child welfare system becomes involved.
The Fostering Futures Forum underscores Foster America’s commitment to co-designing—rather than leading—solutions that further that mission. In every partnership, we seek out those who have been impacted by the system and empower them to join us in transforming it.
In preparation for the forum, Foster America and MIT hosted co-design sessions in sites across the country, bringing together people who experienced the child welfare system firsthand to identify the most pressing needs of youth in care.
From those sessions, common themes emerged, including the desire of youth for belonging, support, and connection while in care of the child welfare system.
Those themes guided the work that led to the projects presented at the Forum. A detailed overview of the projects can be found here.
Additional photos from the event can be found here.
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