Providing Access to Early Childhood Goods
The Challenge
JUST, a non-profit that facilitates micro-loans for Spanish-speaking female entrepreneurs in the US wanted to better understand opportunities in communities adjacent to the population they serve.
My Contributions
I worked as part of a team to conduct generative research which was presented to our partners at JUST at the end of phase one. During phase two, we utilized our research as the foundation for building the framework for a donation service.
Our Solution
My team facilitated donations of childcare goods in Austin, Texas through a service we developed. We created a social platform that helps families connect and help one another.
Present Day Problems Measured by an Outdated Standard
21 percent of all children in the United States live in families with incomes below the federal poverty threshold. In Texas, families need an income of about twice that level to cover basic expenses. The federal poverty threshold is an out-dated system developed by the United States government from the 1960’s but applies to income earnings today.
We spoke to 10 families who qualified as low income supporting one or more children and 6 families who lived above this low-income threshold. We heard about custody battles, working two jobs, sharing a car, help from friends, domestic violence, the velvet rut, qualifying for SNAP benefits and having them taken away.
We spoke to 10 families who qualified as low income supporting one or more children and 6 families who lived above this low-income threshold. We heard about custody battles, working two jobs, sharing a car, help from friends, domestic violence, the velvet rut, qualifying for SNAP benefits and having them taken away.
Phase One: Understanding Low-income Families Access to Aid
Through evaluative research we learned about current aid systems available to families who qualify as low income.
TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), exist and were used by some of our participants. However, 200 dollars a month is the maximum benefit amount per person can receive from SNAP.
One of our participants, Samantha expressed her frustration with obtaining SNAP and it not being enough as a single mother of two. She qualified for benefits, received a pay raise, and quickly had them taken away. She told us she was better off making less and receiving benefits, than with her raise.
One of our participants, Samantha expressed her frustration with obtaining SNAP and it not being enough as a single mother of two. She qualified for benefits, received a pay raise, and quickly had them taken away. She told us she was better off making less and receiving benefits, than with her raise.
We also heard from a Mary, a mother of one and primary breadwinner for her household. As a state employee Mary made sufficient income, but that didn’t grant her comfortability. At the end of each month their budget grew tighter, not granting space for saving.
She had an inability to provide the childhood items like toys, strollers, bottles, clothes, and basic school supplies for the children in her life.
She had an inability to provide the childhood items like toys, strollers, bottles, clothes, and basic school supplies for the children in her life.
Experiencing the Poverty Cycle
We synthesized our 60 plus hours of data and developed two insights that we shared with our client alongside the rest of our findings.
Insight #1
Low income families struggle to make ends meet. Without access to a network, this challenge is exacerbated.
Insight #2
Families can’t grow out of their current economic situation, because they feel stuck in survival mode.
Insight #1
Low income families struggle to make ends meet. Without access to a network, this challenge is exacerbated.
Insight #2
Families can’t grow out of their current economic situation, because they feel stuck in survival mode.
“My mother moved here but she’s not involved. I don’t have other family around. I have a best friend that occasionally steps in and I’m grateful to her but she works and has hobbies…”
-Samantha
“We don’t bring in enough to have savings and when we do, those difficult months come up and we have to try a little harder, then it (savings) immediately goes to that.”
– Mary
Phase Two: Developing Our Service
We were in a unique position to address the problems we heard in our conversations.
Organizing our data allowed us to form two design principles on which to build a service around.
Principle #1
We must foster relationships for families without a network.
Principle #2
We are devoted to enhancing family well being.
We relied on user testing to iterate on our product. Our design principles kept us grounded to the families we were trying to serve. We addressed a disconnect heard in our interviews. Some families couldn’t afford childcare goods, while others had excess. Whether it was rapid growth (as children do) or a families access to network we saw opportunity to get goods to those who needed them.
Principle #1
We must foster relationships for families without a network.
Principle #2
We are devoted to enhancing family well being.
We relied on user testing to iterate on our product. Our design principles kept us grounded to the families we were trying to serve. We addressed a disconnect heard in our interviews. Some families couldn’t afford childcare goods, while others had excess. Whether it was rapid growth (as children do) or a families access to network we saw opportunity to get goods to those who needed them.
This was our initial lo-fi flow for families to either donate, or receive goods via our service, To Bambu.
Launching the App
Our service caters to two users – donor and recipient. We do the matchmaking, connecting families in need to those able to give.
Despite the pandemic we were able to facilitate several donation and connect families to one another throughout Austin.
The families and caregivers who received goods were grateful for the bassinets, car seats, and stroller we were able to get ahold of.
Summary:
• Interviewed 16 families.
• Created an mvp service product based on user need.
• Facilitated several donations of childcare goods.
Despite the pandemic we were able to facilitate several donation and connect families to one another throughout Austin.
The families and caregivers who received goods were grateful for the bassinets, car seats, and stroller we were able to get ahold of.
Summary:
• Interviewed 16 families.
• Created an mvp service product based on user need.
• Facilitated several donations of childcare goods.
