Interview Guide for Fathers-English and Spanish versions

OMB Control No.: 0970-xxxx

Expiration Date: xx/xx/20xx

A-5a: 10

Home Visiting: Approaches to Father Engagement and Fathers’ Experiences

Father Interview Guide

8 Respondents per Program

75 Minutes

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 76 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing the instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. This information collection is voluntary. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: Reports Clearance Officer (Attn: OMB/PRA 0970-XXXX), Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services, 370 L'Enfant

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for agreeing to meet with us today. I’m [INTERVIEWER NAME] and this is my colleague [ASSISTANT NAME], and we’re researchers from the Urban Institute, a non-profit social policy research organization in Washington, DC. We are conducting a study about father engagement in home visiting programs. We’re trying to learn about how different programs serve fathers by interviewing staff and parents connected with home visiting programs. We want to ask you questions about your experience with this home visiting program. We have a list of questions, but the interview is meant to be open-ended, so you should feel free to respond in as much detail as you like, and there are no right or wrong answers.

INFORMED CONSENT

Before I begin my questions, I’d like to give you a copy of a consent form that describes the purpose of this study, the requirements to participate, the risks and benefits to participation, and other key information. Here is a copy for you to follow along as I read aloud. [HAND R COPY OF FORM]. If you agree to the study procedures, I’ll ask you to sign and date your copy of the form.

[Read consent form aloud as respondent follows along.]

Do you have any questions about the study procedures?

Would you please sign a copy of our Informed Consent Form, and then may we begin our interview?

[Participant must sign and return one copy and may keep the second copy.]

[If anyone objects to the recording, the researcher who is not leading the interview will need to take thorough notes.]

PROTOCOL

Demographics and Household Composition

I would like to start by getting some basic background information on you and your family. Then, the rest of the interview will be more open-ended.

1. How old are you?

2. Are you Hispanic or Latino?

3. What race do you consider yourself to be? (For example, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, or White)

4. Were you born in the United States? (If no, probe: nationality and time in the United States)

5. What is the highest level of education you completed?

6. Are you currently enrolled in school or in any job training programs? (Probe: type)

7. Are you currently working for pay? (If working, probe on job type. If not working, probe on whether father is looking for work.)

8. What is the name of the child who is participating in the home visiting program? (Probes: gender, age, residence)

9. Are you married?

   1. If yes, Is your wife the mother of (CHILD)?

   2. If no, Are you in a romantic relationship with the mother of (CHILD)?

      1. If no, Are you in a romantic relationship with anyone else?

10. Do you have any other children? (If yes, probe: how many, how old they are, where they live, if they have the same or different mothers, relationship with those children’s mothers)

    1. Do you act as a father or other male role model to any other children you haven’t mentioned?

11. Who else currently lives with you in your home? You don’t have to give me their names, just who they are in relation to you, like your mother or your sister.

Father Engagement and Parenting

12. Next, I’d like to talk about your relationship with each of your children (including residential, non-biological, if applicable). Let’s start with (CHILD). Tell me about how often you spend time together, what sort of things you do with him or her, and what types of support you provide for him or her.

(Probe as needed: activities: for a younger child-read books, change diapers, feed, or put to sleep; for a school-age child- help with homework, go to parent-teacher meetings; any regular responsibilities (take to or pick up from doctor or child care); financial support; child support)

<REPEAT FOR ALL RESIDENT CHILDREN, THEN NONRESIDENT CHILDREN>

13. Do you feel like certain things prevent you from being as involved with your child/ren as you want to be? If yes, what kind of things? (Probes: for nonresidential fathers: barriers beyond not living with child, e.g.: mother’s willingness to let him be involved, or distance/transportation?)

14. What have been the major challenges of raising your child/ren? (Probe: experiences with target CHILD.)

15. Do you and (CHILD’s) mother disagree or argue about any aspect of parenting?

(Probes: how to raise a child; discipline; babysitters; doctors; time spent with child or support)

Motivation for Home Visiting Program Enrollment

We’re most interested in learning about your experiences with the (NAME OF HOME VISITING PROGRAM) program.

16. How did you first hear about this program? When was that? (Probes: whether prenatally; for which child)

17. What did you think of the program when you first learned of it? (Probes: why or why not interested)

18. What were you hoping to get out of the home visiting program?

19. Did anyone encourage you to become involved in this home visiting program? Did anyone discourage you? (Probes: child mother’s reaction and, if applicable, current partner’s)

20. Did you know about programs like this before you joined? If yes, what did you know about them?

21. Had you ever been involved in any parenting or fatherhood program before? (If yes, probe: types of activities in program; experience)

Home Visiting Experiences

Next, I’d like to talk about the home visits offered through (NAME OF PROGRAM).

22. Have home visitors come to your home/your child’s home while you were present?

If no, probe: if ever invited to participate; reason for not participating

1. Did your child’s mother want you to participate in the visits? Why or why not?

2. Does she ever share with you information that she learned from the visits when you didn’t join? If yes, what kinds of information does she share?

3. Has anything (else) prevented you from being involved in home visits?

4. What could the program do differently to encourage your participation in home visits? (Probes: recruitment; content and delivery, e.g. father friendly)

If yes, probe: age of child when father first participated; frequency of participation over time)

1. Tell us about a typical home visit (Probes: who is there, activities, interactions with child/home visitor/mother; content)

2. Has the home visitor encouraged you to join the visits? In what ways? (e.g., scheduled the visit so that both parents could attend)

3. Do you feel like the home visitor makes an effort to include you in the discussion or activities during the visits? (Probes: impression of home visitor; fathers-only time or visit; father-only content; encouragement to participate)

4. Did your child’s mother want you to participate in the visits? Why or why not?

5. Does she ever share with you information that she learned from the visits when you didn’t join? If yes, what kinds of information does she share?

6. Has anything (else) prevented you from being involved in home visits?

7. What could the program do differently to encourage your participation in home visits? (Probes: recruitment; content and delivery, e.g. father friendly)

23. Looking back on your experiences, what do you like most about the home visiting program? (Probes: most helpful activity/service/information for father; most helpful activity/service/information for mother and child; benefits for mother and child; age of child when most useful)

24. What do you like least about the home visiting program?

25. Do you feel like you’ve learned anything (so far) in the program? What have you learned?

(Probes: knowledge of child development, effective/appropriate parenting, importance of engaging with children and in what ways)

1. How will what you’ve learned help you and your family in the future?

26. How, if at all, have your experiences in the program changed you as a parent? (Probes: quality of relationship with child, level of involvement, parenting practices, discipline strategies)

27. How, if at all, has the program changed your relationship to the child’s mother?

Other Fatherhood Activities

28. Besides home visits, have you been involved in any other fatherhood activities offered through this program or [NAME OF AGENCY]?

If no, probe: awareness of activities for fathers; barriers to participation in these activities.

If yes, probe: which activities/programs with description; how father became involved; most enjoyable activities; most useful aspects; least useful aspects; what father learned)

Recommendations for Home Visiting Program Improvements

29. Would you recommend the home visiting program to others? Why or why not?

30. Every person has different needs and could use help in different ways. Do you feel like the home visiting program met your individual needs as a father? Why or why not?

31. What aspects of the program do you think have been least helpful to you?

32. What recommendations do you have to improve the program? (Probes: information provided during visits, structure of visits, timing/scheduling, services offered, availability of services, home visitor, age of child when services are offered; father-only home visits; male or female home visitor)

33. What could this program—or other programs that work with fathers—do to involve more fathers like you? (Probe: best recruitment strategies)

Parent Interview Receipt of Payment

Initialing below indicates that you were offered $40 as a token of appreciation for your time participating in an interview for the project Home Visiting: Approaches to Father Engagement and Fathers’ Experiences conducted by the Urban Institute.

□ I accepted the $40 token of appreciation. □ I refused the $40 token of appreciation.

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Respondent’s Initials

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Date