Attachment D - E-mail Template for Representatives of Head Start Programs

Attachment D: Representatives of Head Start Programs Outreach E-mail Templates

The following e-mail templates will be used to invite representatives of Head Start Programs to participate in phone or video calls.

Initial Outreach E-mail

Subject: Invitation to participate in federal Head Start Connects study

Dear [NAME],

I’m writing on behalf of the research team for Head Start Connects: Individualizing and Connecting Families to Comprehensive Family Support Services (HS Connects), a research study funded by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) in the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HS Connects is a national project that is exploring how Head Start programs coordinate family well-being support services for parents/guardians and tailor services to individual family needs. These services, also referred to as family support services, include education, employment services, financial capability services, housing and food assistance, emergency or crisis intervention services, substance abuse treatment, physical health services, and mental health services. Findings from this work will benefit both Head Start programs and the broader early care and education field.

The project is particularly interested in service coordination for parents and guardians and how programs do this in a way that is responsive to families’ needs. I’ve attached a project description to this e-mail.

In the current phase of the study, we are speaking with Head Start programs to better understand their approach to service coordination and whether they might be a good fit for inclusion in HS Connects as a case study site. Case studies are tentatively planned for spring 2020. I am writing to invite you to discuss with the project team how your program coordinates family support services. [PROGRAM NAME] was recommended to us by members of the project team and HS Connects’ expert and stakeholder advisory panels.

Your participation will include a 60-minute phone or video call with members of our project team, you, and members of your staff that you designate. The call will be scheduled at your convenience. During the call, we will discuss how your program coordinates family support services, focusing on how your program assesses family needs, provides or links families to services, and works with families on an ongoing basis. Participation in this and any future calls is voluntary, and responses will be kept private to the extent permitted by law.

After our first call, we may ask you or members of your staff to participate in a 60-minute follow-up call to further understand your program’s coordination processes. We are confident that these calls will provide information for us to use to identify potential programs for the case studies. However, it is important to note that we will only be able to a select a small number of programs for the case studies, so we cannot guarantee that your program will be selected.

If you are interested in speaking with our team to provide more information about your program, please respond to this message by [DATE] letting me know if you are willing to join a 60-minute call during any of the following times:

• [Option 1]

• [Option 2]

• [Option 3]

If none of the above times work, let me know and we will provide alternatives. Thank you for your consideration.

Regards,

[SENIOR MEMBER OF RESEARCH TEAM]

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. The OMB number for the described information collection is 0970-0356 and the expiration date is 6/30/2021. 

[Attached: Attachment E: Project Description]

E-mail Requesting Follow-up Call

Subject: Scheduling a Follow-up Call for Head Start Connects
cc: Program director (or participant in initial call)

Dear [NAME],

Thank you again for taking the time to speak with me about how [PROGRAM NAME] coordinates family support services. The information you provided has been useful to our HS Connects project team, and we’re interested in learning more.

We would like to schedule a follow-up call with you and [ADDITIONAL STAFF PERSON] to ask a few more questions about how [PROGRAM NAME] coordinates family support services. This information will help our project team identify potential sites for the case studies. [IN PARTICULAR, WE ARE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT [TOPICS]].

Please let us know by [DATE] if you and your staff are available for 60 minutes during any of the following times:

• [OPTION 1]

• [OPTION 2]

• [OPTION 3]

Thank you! We look forward to hearing from you and speaking again.

Regards,

[SENIOR MEMBER OF RESEARCH TEAM]

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. The OMB number for the described information collection is 0970-0356 and the expiration date is 6/30/2021.