Helen Graarud

Helen Graarud is a Doctoral Research Fellow at the Faculty of Health, Welfare and Organisation, Østfold University College, Norway. Her work bridges child welfare research, digitalization, and participatory methodologies. She teaches in the Bachelor in Child Welfare and Master in Child Welfare Work programs.

• Education: Graduated as a Social Worker (1993); Master's in Social Work with Children and Young People (2015)
• Professional Experience: Extensive background in municipal/state child welfare, healthcare systems, and pedagogical development
• Current Role: PhD researcher in "Digitalisation and Society" program

Research Focus: Helen investigates how digitalization impacts children and young people in care, using phenomenological and participatory research designs. Her project The digital everyday lives of children in care – lived experiences and meaning-making (2023-2027) centers on:

• Digital contact and meaning-making processes
• Opportunities and challenges in digital environments
• Collaborative research with care-experienced co-researchers
• Strengthening children's participation in research

Academic Contributions: Her recent work explores autoethnography, mentalization, and interdisciplinary approaches in child welfare. She advocates for political engagement among social workers and innovates with simulation-based pedagogy.

Research Groups: Member of the Child Welfare Research Group and CHANGE - inclusion of children and young people.