Attachment E_Fact Sheets_Lead Letters
Attach E_Revised_Fact Sheets_Lead Letters_Clean_April 2021.docx
OPRE Study: Survey of National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) Adopted Youth, Young Adults, Adults and Adoptive Parents [Descriptive Study]
Attachment E_Fact Sheets_Lead Letters
OMB: 0970-0555
Survey of NSCAW Adopted Youth, Young Adults, and Adoptive Parents
OMB #: 0970-0555
Expiration Date: 09/30/2021
Attachment E. Fact Sheets, Lead Letters and Refusal Letters (mail/email) for Youth/Young Adult/Adult and Parent Respondents
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Questions and Answers about the Survey of Family Well-Being
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[Fact Sheet for Young Adult/Adult Respondents]
What Is the Research About?
The federal government is funding a survey of adults, young adults, youth and their parents who participated in a previous study many years ago, the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW). RTI International (RTI), a nonprofit research organization in North Carolina, is conducting this survey.
We are contacting adults, young adults, and youth, like you, who participated in NSCAW in 1999 or later. You are among over 500 adults, young adults or youth selected to be interviewed. Now, in this new Survey of Family Well-Being, we are following up with NSCAW participants approximately 7 to 14 years after the last time you or your family were interviewed for NSCAW.
In this fact sheet, you will find answers to some of the most common questions that are asked about the new Survey of Family Well-Being as well as the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being.
What is the National Survey on Child and Adolescent Well-Being?
The National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) is a nationwide study of children and families. NSCAW collects data directly from children and their parents or guardians. This information is used to learn about the needs of children and families, about the kinds of services used by children and families, and about other services needed by families.
How is this new study different than the National Survey on Child and Adolescent Well-Being?
In the Survey of Family Well-Being, we are interviewing the children that participated in NSCAW who are now adults and their parents. The questions will ask about various topics, including the places you may have lived before you were 18 years old, and services you and your parents may have received, your social support system, things that may have happened in your life before 18 years old, such as experiencing homelessness, time living in foster care, or running away. People with many different backgrounds and types of families will be completing this survey. For this reason, we try to ask about lots of different possible family members, including birth or biological parents, adoptive parents, grandparents, other relatives and siblings. If you were adopted, we would like to know more about that experience. This will help develop services that may support children and families.
How did you find me?
When you and your parent participated in NSCAW, you or your parent provided permission for future contacts by other researchers and authorized sharing contact information with these researchers. At that time, you or your parent provided the contact information for several people who knew your family and could help us reach you in case of phone number or address changes. When we contacted your parent, we also asked if we could have your contact information to ask about your interest in participating in this new study.
Why should I participate?
Participation is voluntary. By taking part in the Survey of Family Well-Being, you have a chance to have your voice heard, to talk about your needs from your own point of view, and to help other children, youth, adults and families in similar situations.
Who sponsors and conducts this study?
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sponsors this new study as well as the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. RTI International (RTI) is conducting both studies.
Who is RTI International?
RTI is a research company located in North Carolina. RTI conducts research projects for a wide variety of government agencies, universities, and private companies. Our interviewers will contact and schedule interviews with selected children and families.
How was I chosen?
We selected a sample of adults who were children when they participated in NSCAW. We want to interview you about your experiences, and opinions about the places you may have lived before you were 18 years old and services you and your parent may have received. As a token of our appreciation, you will receive a $30 gift card for your participation.
What does my involvement require?
If you decide to participate, we will ask you to complete a web or telephone survey. Your survey may last about 30 minutes. We will ask questions about your behavior, health, places you have lived, and family relationships. We will also ask questions about your family’s situation before you were 18 years old and things that may have happened in your life, such as experiencing homelessness and running away, and any services your family may have received.
If you decide to participate in this new study, we ask you also for your permission to link the responses you give now with the responses that we collected when you and your parent participated years ago in the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being study.
How will you conduct the study?
We offer two ways for you to participate. You can complete the interview over the Internet or by telephone. Our interviewer will contact you by phone or in person to explain these options in more detail. If you decide to complete the interview online, our interviewer will provide you with a secure web link and a PIN for accessing your survey. If you choose the phone option, the interviewer will read the questions from a computer screen and type the answers into the computer. If you decide to participate, we will also ask for your permission to link the responses you give to this interview with the responses that we collected when you participated years ago in the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being study.
We will also be asking your parent(s) to participate in a separate web or telephone survey. However, we will not share your survey responses with them, and we will not share their responses with you, as all responses are private.
How long will it take?
The interview should last about 30 minutes but the exact length with vary depending on your family experiences. We will schedule the interview at a convenient time for you.
Are
the questions personal?
Some questions may seem personal to some people. We keep your information private to the extent permitted by law. Only a very limited number of individuals will have access to any information that will identify you. For example, we may share your information with individuals who are working on this project but will not share your information with your parents or other household members. You do not have to answer any question that you do not want to answer.
What happens to the information?
We collect your responses using a secure web link or computer if you prefer a phone interview. We send the collected information to RTI by the web portal or computer in a safe and secure way. We combine your answers with results from other interviews and report them together in summary form. When we write up the results from the study to share with other researchers, we will write about the combined information. You will not be identified in any published or presented materials. We do not link your name or your parent’s name to the information you provide. We keep your names and other identifiers separate from your answers. At any future time, you will always have the choice about whether you want to participate in any new study.
How Will My Responses be Used?
In addition to informing the government, the information that we gather from you during this survey may be shared with other researchers. This will not include your personal information (for example, your name and the names of your parents will never be shared), but we may share your responses, along with all of the other responses. This will allow other researchers to also learn from your experiences.
We will also allow some researchers to do studies that combine your survey data with the information we collect from other sources. We will not ask for your additional informed consent for these studies. The researchers will use the data to write reports, and to better understand experiences of you, your family, and families like yours.
Prior to using or releasing this data for future research, we will de-identify it. “De-identify” means that we will remove or code any personal information that could identify you before files are shared with other researchers to ensure that no one should be able to identify you from the information we share. Despite these measures, we cannot guarantee against the re-identification of your personal data.
What about Privacy?
All RTI staff members and interviewers signed a Privacy Agreement pledging that they will not reveal any information to anyone other than authorized project staff. RTI also obtained a federal Certificate of Confidentiality for this study to protect the identity of the research participants. This certificate severely limits us from releasing any information that would identify you, even from a court order.
We keep all information private to the extent permitted by law and we never identify a single person or family in our reports. There are two important exceptions to the privacy information above to note:
If the interviewer or project staff think your life or health is in serious danger, they will contact someone qualified to assist you.
At some point in the future, a different research company may take over this study. If that happens, with your consent, we would give you and your parent’s contact information to the other company.
If we haven’t contacted your parent yet, the interviewer will ask for your help locating your mother or father for an interview. At that point, your parent may choose whether to participate in the study. To protect your privacy and that of your parent, neither of you will know the other’s answers to the interview questions. We combine your answers with responses from hundreds of others from around the country. We report results only in percentages, averages, and other statistics.
Where do I get more information about the study?
If
you have questions or would like to set up an appointment, please
call the study hotline at (800) XXX-XXXX or send an email to
SFWB@rti.org. If you have questions
about your rights as a study participant, call toll-free RTI’s
Office of Human Research Protections at
1-866-214-2043.
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[Adult Respondent Lead Letter]
[ACF LETTERHEAD HERE]
[CHILD NAME] [Date]
[Address]
[Address #2]
[City, State, Zip]
Dear [CHILD NAME],
We are contacting you because you or your parent participated in the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) study 7 to 14 years ago. The NSCAW is a Congressionally mandated study of children and families.
Now, we’d like to speak with you again for a new study, the Survey of Family Well-Being. In this new study, we are interviewing the children who participated in NSCAW who are now adults and their parents. This time, we would like to talk with you about the places you may have lived before you were 18 years old and services you and your parent may have received. This study is sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ACF has hired RTI International to conduct interviews for this study.
By taking part in the Survey of Family Well-Being, you will have the chance to express your views, experiences, and opinions about the places you may have lived before you were 18 years old and services you and your parent may have received. The interview focuses on your health, places you have lived, relationships, and use of services. Your input will help us better understand the issues facing youth and adults like yourself. You will receive a $30 gift card to thank you for participating.
We realize you are busy, so we offer two ways for you to participate. You can complete the interview online or by telephone. Our interviewer will try and reach you by telephone or in person to explain these options in more detail and answer any questions you have. If you choose to complete the interview by telephone, we will conduct the phone interview at a time convenient for you.
Your decision to take part in this study is up to you. We hope you will contribute to this important effort. We will keep the information you provide private to the extent permitted by law. Reports or data files released by RTI will not identify a single person or family. Your involvement does not affect any benefits or services you receive.
The enclosed fact sheet describes the study in more detail. We have also included an informed consent statement describing your rights as a research participant along with a resource guide. If you have questions or would like to set up an appointment, please call the study hotline at (800) XXX-XXXX or send an email to SFWB@rti.org.
The success of the study depends on those selected to take part. I thank you in advance for your support.
Sincerely yours,
Alysia Blandon, Ph.D.
Administration for Children and Families
Participation in the described collection of information 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. The OMB number for this information collection is 0970-0555and the expiration date is 09/30/2021. |
The Federal Government has issued a Certificate of Confidentiality (authorized by the Public Health Service Act Section 301(d), 42 U.S.C Section 241 (d), 1988) to the researchers who are conducting this study which authorizes us to protect the privacy of individuals who participate. |
Version 2 CA January 2020
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[Adult Refusal Letter-General Concerns]
[ADULT NAME] [Date]
[Address]
[Address #2]
[City, State, Zip]
Dear [CHILD NAME]:
Recently, our interviewer contacted you and asked you to take part in the Survey of Family Well-Being. At that time, you didn’t accept to participate. We hope this letter provides more information about our study procedures and the value in taking part. We hope you will reconsider.
The Survey of Family Well-Being will collect data on selected adults and their parents who participated in the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) study 7 to 14 years ago. This information helps us learn about the needs of children and families, and the kinds of services needed and used by children and families. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, sponsors this study. ACF hired RTI International (RTI) to conduct the study.
We keep the answers you provide private. Taking part in the study does not affect services you or your family may receive. We do not identify you by name; we combine your responses with hundreds of others and report in summary form only. A Federal Certificate of Confidentiality severely limits the release of your name or other identifying information to anyone not connected with the research project. There is an important exception: if the study team believes your life or health is in danger, we will contact the appropriate authorities.
By taking part in the Survey of Family Well-Being, you will have the chance to express your views, experiences, and opinions about the places you may have lived before you were 18 years old and services you and your parent may have received. In return, we will give you a $30 gift card for completing the interview.
Your decision to take part is up to you. This is a national study, but we cannot interview everyone in the United States. Instead, we select a limited number of adults and their parents who participated in NSCAW. Selected families represent hundreds of other people in this country. Once selected to take part, we cannot replace you.
The enclosed fact sheet describes the study in more detail. I hope after reading this you will participate in this important study. One of our interviewers will call on you again soon. If you have questions or would like to set up an appointment, please call the study hotline at , at 1-800-XXX-XXXX or send an email to SFWB@rti.org. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Parker
Data Collection Task Leader
Participation in the described collection of information 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. The OMB number for this information collection is 0970-0555and the expiration date is 09/30/2021.
Enclosure
The Federal Government has issued a Certificate of Confidentiality (authorized by the Public Health Service Act Section 301(d), 42 U.S.C Section 241 (d), 1988) to the researchers who are conducting this study which authorizes us to protect the privacy of individuals who participate. |
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[Adult Refusal Letter-Unable to Contact]
[ADULT NAME] [Date]
[Address]
[Address #2]
[City, State, Zip]
Dear [Adult Name]:
Recently, our interviewer attempted to contact you about participating in the Survey of Family Well-Being, which is being conducted for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). ACF hired a team of researchers from RTI International to conduct the study. To this point, we have been unable to speak with anyone. We continue to try and reach you because your participation is important.
We understand some people may feel uneasy about speaking to a stranger on the phone. Please know we are not soliciting or selling anything. We are contacting you because you or your parent participated in the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) study 7 to 14 years ago. We just want to interview you concerning your experiences since NSCAW. A limited number of people in the U.S. have been selected to represent the entire population, and we need responses from everyone selected to get an accurate picture of the experiences of families, opinions about the places you may have lived before you were 18 years old and services you and your parent may have receive. No one else can replace you in this study. We need your input. We combine your answers with the answers of hundreds of other people and report them only as overall numbers. You can refuse to answer any question you do not want to answer.
A Federal Certificate of Confidentiality helps to ensure your right to privacy. This certificate severely limits the release of your name or other identifying information to anyone not connected with the research. One important exception to note: if we believe your life could be in danger, we will tell the appropriate authorities.
We designed the Survey of Family Well-Being to collect data from children and their parents. By taking part in the survey, you will have the chance to express your views, experiences, and opinions about the places you may have lived before you were 18 years old and services you and your parent may have received. In return, you will receive $30 gift card for completing your interview.
The enclosed fact sheet describes the study in more detail. I hope after reading this you will participate in this important study. One of our interviewers will call on you again soon. If you have questions or would like to set up an appointment, please call the study hotline at (800) XXX-XXXX or send an email to SFWB@rti.org. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Parker
Data Collection Task Leader
Participation in the
described collection of information 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. The OMB number for this information collection is
0970-0555and
the expiration date is 09/30/2021 
The Federal Government has issued a Certificate of Confidentiality (authorized by the Public Health Service Act Section 301(d), 42 U.S.C Section 241 (d), 1988) to the researchers who are conducting this study which authorizes us to protect the privacy of individuals who participate. |
Questions and Answers about the Survey of Family Well-Being
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[Fact Sheet for Parents of an Adult Child]
What Is the Research About?
The federal government is funding a national survey of children, young adults, and adults who were adopted from the child welfare system and their adoptive parents. RTI International (RTI), a nonprofit research organization in North Carolina, is conducting this survey.
We are contacting the parents of children who were involved with child welfare agencies throughout the United States beginning in 1999 or later. Your child is among over 500 youth, young adults, and adults selected to be interviewed. RTI talked to you or your child as a part of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being study about 7 to 14 years ago. Now, in this new Survey of Family Well-Being, we are following up with NSCAW participants approximately 7 to 14 years after the last time you or your child were interviewed for NSCAW.
In this fact sheet, you will find answers to some of the most common questions that are asked about this new study as well as the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being.
What is the National Survey on Child and Adolescent Well-Being?
The National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) is the first ever nationwide study of children and families who have come into contact with the child welfare system.
NSCAW collects data directly from children and their parents or guardians. This information is used to learn about the needs of children and families, about the kinds of services used by children and families, and about other services provided by child welfare agencies.
How is this new study different from the National Survey on Child and Adolescent Well-Being?
In the Survey of Family Well-Being, we are interviewing the parents of children who were adopted. The questions will ask about various topics, including your child’s adoption, places your child may have lived, and services you and your child may have received, your social support system, and things that may have happened in your child’s life, such as experiencing homelessness, time living in foster care, or running away.
How did you find me?
When you participated in NSCAW you provided permission for future contacts by other researchers and you authorized sharing your contact information with these researchers. At that time, you also provided the contact information for several people who knew you and could help us reach you in case you changed your phone number or address.
Why should I participate in this new study?
Participation is voluntary. By taking part in the Survey of Family Well-Being, we hope to understand the experiences of families who have adopted children after involvement with the child welfare system—both from the perspective of the adopted youth, young adults and adults, as well as their adoptive parents. We also hope to talk to your child and will contact him or her separately. We will not ask your child about adoption unless your child first tells us that he or she was adopted.
We will use your answers to learn more about families’ experiences with adoption. This will help develop services to support adopted children and their families in the future. We hope that child welfare agencies will use this information to make improvements and better support families.
Who sponsors and conducts this study?
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sponsors the Survey of Family Well-Being as well as the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. RTI International (RTI) is conducting both studies and is not affiliated with any child welfare agency.
Who is RTI International?
RTI is a research company located in North Carolina. RTI conducts research projects for a wide variety of government agencies, universities, and private companies. Our interviewers will contact and schedule interviews with selected children and families.
How was I chosen?
We selected a sample of children who came into contact with the child welfare system and participated in the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being study many years ago. We want to interview you about your child, your experiences with the child welfare system, and your family. As a token of our appreciation, you will receive a $30 gift card for your participation.
What does my involvement require?
We will ask questions about your child, including his or her behavior, health, and family relationships. We also ask questions about your family’s situation, places your child may have lived, and any services your family may receive.
If you decide to participate in this new study, we ask you also for your permission to link the responses you give now with the responses that we collected when you and your child participated years ago in the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being study.
How will you conduct the study?
We offer two ways for you to participate. You can complete the interview over the Internet or by telephone. Our interviewer will contact you by phone or in person to explain these options in more detail. If you decide to complete the interview online, our interviewer will provide with a secure web link and a PIN for accessing your survey. If you choose the phone option, the interviewer will read the questions from a computer screen and type the answers into the computer. If you decide to participate, we will also ask for your permission to link the responses you give to this interview with the responses that we collected when you participated years ago in the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being study.
How long will it take?
The interview should last about 30 minutes but the exact length with vary depending on your family’s experiences. We will schedule the interviews at a convenient time for you.
Are
the questions personal?
Some questions may seem personal to some people. Only a very limited number of individuals will have access to any information that will identify you. For example, we may share your information with individuals who are working on this project but will not share your information with your parents or other household members. You do not have to answer any question that you do not want to answer.
What happens to the information?
We collect your responses using a secure web link or computer if you prefer a phone interview. We send the collected information to RTI by the web portal or computer in a safe and secure way. We combine your answers with results from other interviews and report them together in summary form. We do not link your name or your child’s name to the information you provide. We keep your names and other identifiers separate from your answers. At any future time, you will always have the choice about whether you want to participate in any new study.
How Will My Responses be Used?
In addition to informing the government, the information that we gather from you during this survey may be shared with other researchers. This will not include your personal information (for example, your name and the name of your child will never be shared), but we may share your responses, along with all the other responses. This will allow other researchers to also learn from your experiences.
We will also allow some researchers to do studies that combine your survey data with the information we collect from other sources. The researchers will use the data to write reports, and to better understand experiences of you, your family, and families like yours. Prior to using or releasing this data for future research, we will de-identify it. “De-identify” means that we will remove or code any personal information that could identify you or your child before files are shared with other researchers to ensure that no one should be able to identify you from the information we share. Despite these measures, we cannot guarantee against the re-identification of your personal data.
What about Privacy?
We keep your responses private to the extent permitted by the law. Your answers will not be shared with your child. We keep your interview answers on a secure computer. Your answers are not identified by your name, instead we use a separate identification number. All RTI staff members and interviewers signed a Privacy Agreement pledging that they will not reveal any information to anyone other than authorized project staff. RTI also obtained a federal Certificate of Confidentiality for this study to protect the identity of the research participants. This certificate severely limits the release of information that would identify you with anyone, even from a court order.
We keep all information private to the extent permitted by law and we never identify a single person or family in our reports.
There are two important exceptions to the privacy information above to note:
If the interviewer thinks your life or health is in serious danger, they will contact someone qualified to assist you.
At some point in the future, a different research company may take over this study. If that happens, with your consent, we would give you and your child’s contact information to the other company.
If we have not contacted your child yet, the interviewer will ask for your help locating your child for an interview. At that point, your child may choose whether to participate in the study. To protect your privacy and that of your child, neither of you will know the other’s answers to the interview questions. We combine your answers with responses from hundreds of others from around the country. We report results only in percentages, averages, and other statistics.
Where do I get more information about the study?
If
you have questions or would like to set up an appointment, please
call the study hotline at (800) XXX-XXXX or send an email to
SFWB@rti.org. . If you have
questions about your rights as a study participant, call toll-free
RTI’s Office of Human Research Protections at
1-866-214-2043.
Questions and Answers about the Survey of Family Well-Being
|
[Fact Sheet for Parents of a Minor Child]
What Is the Research About?
The federal government is funding a national survey of children, young adults, and adults who were adopted from the child welfare system and their adoptive parents. RTI International (RTI), a nonprofit research organization in North Carolina, is conducting this survey.
We are contacting the parents of children who were involved with child welfare agencies throughout the United States beginning in 1999 or later. Your child is among over 500 youth, young adults, and adults selected to be interviewed. RTI talked to you or your child as a part of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) study about 7 to 14 years ago. Now, in this new Survey of Family Well-Being, we are following up with NSCAW participants approximately 7 to 14 years after the last time you or your child were interviewed for NSCAW.
In this fact sheet, you will find answers to some of the most common questions that are asked about the new Survey of Family Well-Being as well as the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being.
What is the National Survey on Child and Adolescent Well-Being?
The National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) is the first ever nationwide study of children and families who have come into contact with the child welfare system.
NSCAW collects data directly from children and their parents or guardians. This information is used to learn about the needs of children and families, about the kinds of services used by children and families, and about other services provided by child welfare agencies.
How is this new study different from the National Survey on Child and Adolescent Well-Being?
In the Survey of Family Well-Being, we are interviewing the parents of children who were adopted. The questions will ask about various topics, including your child’s adoption, places your child may have lived, and services you and your child may have received, your social support system, and things that may have happened in your child’s life, such as experiencing homelessness, time living in foster care, or running away.
How did you find me?
When you participated in NSCAW you provided permission for future contacts by other researchers and you authorized sharing your contact information with these researchers. At that time, you also provided the contact information for several people who knew you and could help us reach you in case you changed your phone number or address.
Why should I participate in this new study?
Participation is voluntary. By taking part in the Survey of Family Well-Being, we hope to understand the experiences of families who have adopted children after involvement with the child welfare system—both from the perspective of the adopted youth, young adults and adults, as well as their adoptive parents. We hope to also interview your child and we will ask for your permission to speak with him or her by phone. We will not ask your child about adoption unless your child first tells us that he or she was adopted.
We will use your answers to learn more about families’ experiences with adoption. This will help develop services to support adopted children and their families in the future. We hope that child welfare agencies will use this information to make improvements and better support families.
Who sponsors and conducts this study?
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sponsors the Survey of Family Well-Being as well as the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. RTI International (RTI) is conducting both studies and is not affiliated with any child welfare agency.
Who is RTI International?
RTI is a research company located in North Carolina. RTI conducts research projects for a wide variety of government agencies, universities, and private companies. Our interviewers will contact and schedule interviews with selected children and families.
How was I chosen?
We selected a sample of children who came into contact with the child welfare system and participated in the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being study many years ago. We want to interview you about your child, your experiences with the child welfare system, and your family. As a token of our appreciation, you and your child will receive a $30 gift card for participating.
What does my involvement require?
We will ask questions about your child, including his or her behavior, health, and family relationships. We also ask questions about your family’s situation, places your child may have lived, and any services your family may receive.
If you decide to participate in this new study, we ask you also for your permission to link the responses you give now with the responses that we collected when you and your child participated years ago in the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being study.
How will you conduct the study?
We offer two ways for you to participate. You can complete the interview over the Internet or by telephone. Our interviewer will contact you by phone or in person to explain these options in more detail. If you decide to complete the interview online, our interviewer will provide with a secure web link and a PIN for accessing your survey. If you choose the phone option, the interviewer will read the questions from a computer screen and type the answers into the computer. We will also ask your permission to interview your child by phone. If you decide to participate, we will also ask for your permission to link the responses you give to this interview with the responses that we collected when you participated years ago in the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being study.
How long will it take?
The interview should last about 30 minutes but the exact length with vary depending on your family’s experiences. The child’s interview also lasts around 30 minutes. We will schedule the interviews at a convenient time for you and for your child.
Are
the questions personal?
Some questions may seem personal to some people. Only a very limited number of individuals will have access to any information that will identify you. For example, we may share your information with individuals who are working on this project but will not share your information with your parents or other household members. You do not have to answer any question that you do not want to answer.
What happens to the information?
We collect your responses using a secure web link or computer if you prefer a phone interview. We send the collected information to RTI by the web portal or computer in a safe and secure way. We combine your answers with results from other interviews and report them together in summary form. We do not link your name or your child’s name to the information you provide. We keep your names and other identifiers separate from your answers. At any future time, you will always have the choice about whether you want to participate in any new study.
How Will My Responses be Used?
In addition to informing the government, the information that we gather from you and your child during this survey may be shared with other researchers. This will not include your personal information (for example, your name and the name of your child will never be shared), but we may share your responses, along with all the other responses. This will allow other researchers to also learn from your experiences.
We will also allow some researchers to do studies that combine your survey data with the information we collect from other sources. The researchers will use the data to write reports, and to better understand experiences of you, your family, and families like yours. Prior to using or releasing this data for future research, we will de-identify it. “De-identify” means that we will remove or code any personal information that could identify you or your child before files are shared with other researchers to ensure that no one should be able to identify you from the information we share. Despite these measures, we cannot guarantee against the re-identification of your personal data.
What about Privacy?
We keep your responses private to the extent permitted by the law. Your answers will not be shared with your child. We keep your interview answers on a secure computer. Your answers are not identified by your name, instead we use a separate identification number. All RTI staff members and interviewers signed a Privacy Agreement pledging that they will not reveal any information to anyone other than authorized project staff. RTI also obtained a federal Certificate of Confidentiality for this study to protect the identity of the research participants. This certificate severely limits the release of information that would identify you with anyone, even from a court order.
We keep all information private to the extent permitted by law and we never identify a single person or family in our reports.
There are two important exceptions to the privacy information above to note:
If the interviewer thinks your life or health is in serious danger, they will contact someone qualified to assist you.
At some point in the future, a different research company may take over this study. If that happens, with your consent, we would give you and your child’s contact information to the other company.
To protect your privacy and that of your child, neither of you will know the other’s answers to the interview questions. We combine your answers with responses from hundreds of others from around the country. We report results only in percentages, averages, and other statistics.
Where do I get more information about the study?
If
you have questions or would like to set up an appointment, please
call the study hotline at (800) XXX-XXXX or send an email to
SFWB@rti.org . If you have questions about your rights as a study
participant, call toll-free RTI’s Office of Human Research
Protections at 1-866-214-2043.
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[Parent of Adult Respondent Lead Letter]
[ACF LETTERHEAD HERE]
[CAREGIVER NAME] [Date]
[Address]
[Address #2]
[City, State, Zip]
Dear Parent,
We are contacting you because you and your child participated in the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) 7 to 14 years ago. The NSCAW is a Congressionally mandated study of children and families who have had contact with the child welfare system.
Now, we’d like to speak with you again for a new study, the Survey of Family Well-Being. In this new study, we are interviewing parents of children who were adopted. This time, we would like to talk with you about your child’s adoption, places your child may have lived, and services you and your child may have received. This study is sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
ACF hired RTI International to conduct interviews for this study. RTI is interviewing selected parents and children who had contact with the child welfare system.
By taking part in the Survey of Family Well-Being, you have a chance to talk about your experiences with the child welfare system, your level of satisfaction with the services your family may have received, and your child [NAME OF CHILD]. This includes your relationship with [NAME OF CHILD] and places [NAME OF CHILD] may have lived. This will help us better understand the issues that affect children and families like yours. As a part of this study, we hope to also interview [NAME OF CHILD] as well. Please know that we will not ask [NAME OF CHILD] about adoption unless your child tells us that he or she was adopted. The results of the study will be used to make improvements to the child welfare system. Because your contribution is important, you will receive a $30 gift card for participating in this interview.
We realize you are busy, so we are offering two ways for you to participate. You can complete the interview online or telephone. Our interviewer will try and reach you by telephone or in person to explain these options in more detail and answer any questions you have. If you choose to complete the interview by telephone, we will conduct the phone interviews at a time convenient for you.
Your decision to take part in this study is up to you. We hope you will contribute to this important effort. We will keep the information you and your child provide private to the extent permitted by law. Neither this project nor the phone interviewer who will contact you is connected with any child welfare agency. Reports or data files released by RTI will not identify a single person or family. Your involvement does not affect any benefits or services you or your child receive.
The enclosed fact sheet describes the study in more detail. We have also included an informed consent statement describing your rights as a research participant along with a resource guide. If you have questions or would like to set up an appointment, please call the study hotline at (800) XXX-XXXX or send an email to SFWB@rti.org.
The success of the study depends on those selected to take part. I thank you in advance for your support.
Sincerely yours,
Alysia Blandon, Ph.D.
Administration for Children and Families
Participation in the described collection of information 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. The OMB number for this information collection is 0970-0555and the expiration date is 09/30/2021. |
The Federal Government has issued a Certificate of Confidentiality (authorized by the Public Health Service Act Section 301(d), 42 U.S.C Section 241 (d), 1988) to the researchers who are conducting this study which authorizes us to protect the privacy of individuals who participate. |
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[Parents of Minor Child Lead Letter]
[ACF LETTERHEAD HERE]
[CAREGIVER NAME] [Date]
[Address]
[Address #2]
[City, State, Zip]
Dear Parent,
We are contacting you because you and your child participated in the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) 7 to 14 years ago. The NSCAW is a Congressionally mandated study of children and families who have had contact with the child welfare system.
Now, we’d like to speak with you again for a new study, the Survey of Family Well-Being. This time, we would like to talk with you about things that may have happened in your child’s life, such as experiencing homelessness or running away. We will also ask you about places your child may have lived and the services you and your child may have received. The questions will ask about your social support system. We are especially interested in interviewing the parents of children who were adopted. This study is sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
ACF hired RTI International to conduct interviews for this study. RTI is interviewing selected parents and children who had contact with the child welfare system.
By taking part in the Survey of Family Well-Being, you have a chance to talk about your experiences with the child welfare system, your level of satisfaction with the services your family may have received and your child [NAME OF CHILD]. This includes your relationship with [NAME OF CHILD] and places [NAME OF CHILD] may have lived. This will help us better understand the issues that affect children and families like yours. As a part of this study, we hope to interview [NAME OF CHILD] and we will ask for your permission to talk with him or her by phone. The results of the study will be used to make improvements to the child welfare system. Because your contribution is important, you will receive a $30 gift card for participating in this interview. Your child will also receive a $30 gift card for participating.
If your child doesn't know about his/her adoption, please file this letter, fact sheet, and consent copy in a place where your child won't be able to see it.
We realize you are busy, so we offer two ways for you to participate. You can complete your interview online or by telephone. Our interviewer will try and reach you by telephone or in person to explain these options in more detail and answer any questions you have. The interviewer will also ask for your permission to interview your child by phone. We will conduct the phone interviews at a time convenient for you and your child.
Your decision to take part in this study is up to you. We hope you will contribute to this important effort. We will keep the information you and your child provide private to the extent permitted by law. Neither this project nor the phone interviewer who will contact you is connected with any child welfare agency. Reports or data files released by RTI will not identify a single person or family. Your involvement does not affect any benefits or services you or your child receive.
The enclosed fact sheet describes the study in more detail. We have also included an informed consent statement describing your rights as a research participant along with a resource guide. If you have questions or would like to set up an appointment, please call the study hotline at (800) XXX-XXXX or send an email to SFWB@rti.org.
The success of the study depends on those selected to take part. I thank you in advance for your support.
Sincerely yours,
Alysia Blandon, Ph.D.
Administration for Children and Families
Participation in the described collection of information 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. The OMB number for this information collection is 0970-0555and the expiration date is 09/30/2021. |
The Federal Government has issued a Certificate of Confidentiality (authorized by the Public Health Service Act Section 301(d), 42 U.S.C Section 241 (d), 1988) to the researchers who are conducting this study which authorizes us to protect the privacy of individuals who participate. |
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[Parent Refusal Letter—General Concerns]
[PARENT NAME] [Date]
[Address]
[Address #2]
[City, State, Zip]
Dear Parent:
Recently, our interviewer contacted you and asked you to take part in the Survey of Family Well-Being. At that time, you were not interested in taking part. We hope this letter provides more information about our study procedures and the value in taking part. We hope you will reconsider.
The Survey of Family Well-Being offers you the chance to express your views, experiences, and opinions about adoption and the child welfare system. We will collect data on selected children and their parents. This information helps us learn about the needs of children and families, the kinds of services needed and used by children and families, and about other services provided by child welfare agencies. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, sponsors this study. ACF hired RTI International (RTI) to conduct the study.
We keep the answers you provide private. Taking part in the study does not affect services you or your family may receive. We do not identify you by name; we combine your responses with hundreds of others and report in summary form only. A Federal Certificate of Confidentiality severely limits the release of your name or other identifying information to anyone not connected with the research project. There is an important exception: if the study team believes your life or health is in danger, we will contact the appropriate authorities.
By taking part in the Survey of Family Well-Being, you will help us learn about the experiences of families who adopted and have had contact with the child welfare system. In return, we will give you a $30 gift card for completing the parent interview.
Your decision to take part is up to you. This is a national study, but we cannot interview everyone in the United States. Instead, we select a limited number of children and families to take part. Selected families represent hundreds of other people in this country. We need responses from everyone selected to get a full picture of adoption and the child welfare system on a national level. Once selected to take part, we cannot replace you.
The enclosed fact sheet describes the study in more detail. I hope after reading this you will participate in this important study. One of our interviewers will call on you again soon. If you have questions or would like to set up an appointment, please call the study hotline at (800) XXX-XXXX or send an email to SFWB@rti.org. . Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Parker
Data Collection Task Leader
Enclosure
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 this information collection is 0970-0555and
the expiration date is 09/30/2021.
The Federal Government has issued a Certificate of Confidentiality (authorized by the Public Health Service Act Section 301(d), 42 U.S.C Section 241 (d), 1988) to the researchers who are conducting this study which authorizes us to protect the privacy of individuals who participate. |
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[Parent Refusal Letter—Refuses Consent for Child Interview]
[PARENT NAME] [Date]
[Address]
[Address #2]
[City, State, Zip]
Dear Parent:
Recently, our interviewer contacted you and asked you to take part in the Survey of Family Well-Being. At that time, you expressed some concerns about allowing your child to take part. This letter provides more information about the study. We hope you will reconsider.
The Survey of Family Well-Being offers you and your child the chance to express your views, experiences, and opinions about the child welfare system. We will collect data on selected children and their parents. This information helps us learn about the needs of children and families, the kinds of services needed and used by children and families, and about other services provided by child welfare agencies. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, sponsors this study. ACF hired RTI International (RTI) to conduct the study.
The participation of your child is very important. This is a national study, but we cannot interview everyone in the United States. Instead, we select a limited number of youth and families for participation. Selected families represent hundreds of other people in this country who will not have the chance to share their views and experiences. We need responses from everyone selected to get a full picture of families’ experiences and the child welfare system on a national level. Once we select a child for the study, we cannot replace them. By allowing your child to take part, you will help us get an accurate view of the needs of families nationwide.
We will keep you and your child’s answers private. Taking part in the study does not affect any services you or your family may be receiving. We never identify you or your child by name; we combine you and your child’s responses with hundreds of others and report in summary form. A Federal Certificate of Confidentiality provides a guarantee of the right to privacy. This certificate severely limits the release of your name, your child’s name and other identifying information to anyone not connected with the research. One exception to note: if we believe the life or health of you or your child is in danger, we will tell the appropriate authorities.
We expect the information we learn from you and your child to provide answers to critical questions about the child welfare system and about the services used by youth and families in the United States. The enclosed fact sheet provides more detail about the study. I hope that after reading it you will reconsider your decision and allow your child to take part in this study. One of our representatives will call on you again soon. Please do not hesitate to contact Stephanie Parker, Data Collection Task Leader at RTI, toll-free, at 1-800-334-8571 extension 27245 if you have additional concerns or questions about the study. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Parker
Data Collection Task Leader
Enclosure
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 this information collection is 0970-0555and
the expiration date is 09/30/2021.
The Federal Government has issued a Certificate of Confidentiality (authorized by the Public Health Service Act Section 301(d), 42 U.S.C Section 241 (d), 1988) to the researchers who are conducting this study which authorizes us to protect the privacy of individuals who participate. |
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[Parent Refusal Letter—Unable to Contact]
[PARENT NAME] [Date]
[Address]
[Address #2]
[City, State, Zip]
Dear Parent:
Recently, our interviewer attempted to contact you about participating in the Survey of Family Well-Being, which is being conducted for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). ACF hired a team of researchers from RTI International to conduct the study. To this point, we have been unable to speak with anyone. We continue to try and reach you because your participation is important.
We understand some people may feel uneasy about speaking to a stranger on the phone. Please know we are not soliciting or selling anything. We just want to interview you concerning your experiences with the child welfare system. A limited number of people in the U.S. have been selected to represent the entire population, and we need responses from everyone selected to get an accurate picture of the child welfare system. No one else can replace you in this study. We need your input. We combine your answers with the answers of hundreds of other people and report them only as overall numbers. You can refuse to answer any question you do not want to answer.
A Federal Certificate of Confidentiality provides a guarantee of your right to privacy. This certificate severely limits the release of your name or other identifying information to anyone not connected with the research. One important exception to note: if we believe the life of you or your child could be in danger, we will tell the appropriate authorities.
We designed the Survey of Family Well-Being to collect data from children and their parents. By taking part in the survey, you will help us learn more about the experiences of families and issues affecting families. The results of this study will help us make improvements to the child welfare system to better support families. In return, you will receive a $30 gift card for completing your interview. Your child will also receive a gift card for $30 for taking part in the study.
The enclosed fact sheet describes the study in more detail. I hope after reading this you will participate in this important study. One of our interviewers will call on you again soon. If you have questions or would like to set up an appointment, please call the study hotline at (800) XXX-XXXX or send an email to SFWB@rti.org. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Parker
Data Collection Task Leader
Enclosure
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 this information collection is 0970-0555and
the expiration date is 09/30/2021.
The Federal Government has issued a Certificate of Confidentiality (authorized by the Public Health Service Act Section 301(d), 42 U.S.C Section 241 (d), 1988) to the researchers who are conducting this study which authorizes us to protect the privacy of individuals who participate. |
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National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being
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Survey of Family Well-Being
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RTI International PO Box 12194 Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709l USA Sponsored by: Administration for Children and Families Conducted by: RTI International |
[Adult Panel Maintenance Letter]
[Adult Name] [Date]
[Address]
[Address2]
[City, State Zip]
Dear [SAMPLE MEMBER],
In previous years, your family participated in interviews for the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW), a nationwide study of children and families.
We are now doing a new study, the Survey of Family Well-Being. The study is sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ACF hired RTI International to conduct the study.
Your participation is greatly appreciated. We told you when you participated in NSCAW that we may contact you again in the future to see how your family is doing and how your lives may have changed since we last interviewed you. Sharing your experiences helps us understand what needs adults and families have and how well services are working for families. For this study to be successful, we need to re-interview as many adults and families as possible.
To assist us with this next phase, it is important we know how best to reach you. You can update your contact information with us in one of two ways:
By Mail: Complete and return the enclosed Contact Update Form, free of charge.
By Phone: Call our secure telephone voicemail system at (800) XXX-XXXX (this is a toll-free call).
When you get in touch, please let us know of any updates, including the best address and telephone number where we can reach you. If the address and telephone number information on the enclosed postcard are correct, please let us know that by checking the “Information Correct” box or contacting us by telephone. We would also like the name, address, and telephone number of two people who will always know how to reach you if you moved. This can be a relative or friend.
We would appreciate receiving any updates you have in the next two weeks. We will send you another letter when your next interview time gets closer. If you have questions, please call the study hotline at (800) XXX-XXXX or send an email to SFWB@rti.org. We look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely yours,
Stephanie Parker
Data Collection Task Leader
Sponsored by: Administration for Children and Families
Conducted by: RTI International
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Ringeisen, Heather |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-08-11 |
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