Memo - NonSub Change Request - SOGI and Panel Maintenance

TO: Jordan Cohen, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget

FROM: Christine Fortunato, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families

DATE: August 22, 2022

RE: Request for non-substantive changes to the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being Third Cohort (NSCAW III): Data Collection (Longitudinal Study)

This memorandum requests approval for non-substantive changes to the approved information collection, National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being Third Cohort: Data Collection (Longitudinal Study) under OMB Control Number 0970-0202.

Background

In September 2021, OMB approved remote administration of the NSCAW III follow-up interviews (Wave 2). Data collection began in December 2021. Caregivers, youth ages 11 and older, and caseworkers are being interviewed remotely by telephone and web. The youth interview that is conducted with adolescents and young adults currently contains gender identity and sexual orientation items. The current wording of these items was based on federal guidance available during the instrument development phase of NSCAW III (OMB, 2016). Since that time, new resources have become available.

Additionally, in each data collection wave of NSCAW, caregivers and youth ages 16 and older are asked to provide their address, telephone numbers, email address, and Social Security Number for locating purposes. They are also asked to provide names and contact information for up to two friends and relatives. Maintaining long-term participation continues to be a challenge for NSCAW and many other longitudinal surveys. The collection of this information is intended to support panel retention and increase the likelihood of locating respondents over time.

Purpose

The purpose of the current request is to obtain approval to:

1. Update the gender identity and sexual orientation items currently asked of NSCAW adolescents and young adults, to add these updated gender identity and sexual orientation items to the caregiver survey, and

2. Obtain approval for panel maintenance contacts with NSCAW cohort members.

Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Items

The NSCAW study team proposes to update the child and caregiver instruments with the most recent recommendations for gender identity and sexual orientation item wording from the National Academies (2022). Updating gender identity and sexual orientation items to match current recommendations will allow NSCAW results to be compared to those of other large surveys. The addition of gender identity and sexual orientation in the caregiver instrument supports the collection of core identity variables that may shape experiences with the child welfare system. Collection of these identity variables supports the June 2022 White House Executive Order on Advancing Equality which directs HHS to address discrimination and barriers faced by children and caregivers in the child welfare system. Panel retention is a challenge for NSCAW and other longitudinal surveys. We expect panel maintenance requests for updated contacting information to increase the potential for locating respondents over time.

Because the Wave 2 data collection has already been launched, variables for the new versions of the SOGI items will be added to the dataset and documented in the Data File User’s Manual (DFUM). For the caregiver instrument, variables for the new items will be added to the dataset and the date the items were added will be documented in the DFUM. For the revised SOGI items added to the child instrument, the dataset will contain two variables representing the old and new versions of each SOGI item and the DFUM will document the date the revised versions were added. In addition, variables that combine the old and new versions of the items will be derived and documented in the DFUM. This will give researchers the benefit of either using both versions of the items to generate their own derived variables or using the combined variables that are added to the dataset.

Panel Maintenance Contacts with NSCAW Cohort Members

Additionally, the study team proposes to gather contacting information updates from caregivers and young adults to support cohort retention on this longitudinal effort.

Overview of Requested Changes

This memo requests the following non-substantive changes:

• Modifications to survey instruments to allow for the collection of National Academies (2022) recommended gender identity and sexual orientation items; and

• Modifications to data collection materials to allow for panel maintenance contacts with NSCAW cohort members. This includes updating or providing their address, telephone numbers, email address, for locating purposes. New materials include a panel maintenance letter (Appendix J) and panel maintenance contact card (Appendix K).

We do not anticipate increased burden on caregivers with the addition of the gender identity and sexual orientation items. We anticipate a minimal burden increase for caregiver and young adult cohort member to respond to panel maintenance requests and have updated Supporting Statement A to reflect this change.

Time Sensitivities

Given that remote Wave 2 data collection is ongoing, we would like to make gender identity and sexual orientation item updates to the survey instruments as soon as is practicable.

Proposed New Items to Appendix B-1: NSCAW Child Remote Interview and Appendix B: NSCAW III Child Interview

Y_CH3b

What sex were you assigned at birth, on your original birth certificate?

1 Female (Girl)

2 Male (Boy)

3) DON’T KNOW

4) PREFER NOT TO ANSWER

Y_CH3c

What is your current gender?

1 Female (Girl)

2 Male (Boy)

3 Transgender

4 [IF Y_CH8a =1] Two-spirit

5 I use a different term

6) DON’T KNOW

7) PREFER NOT TO ANSWER

IF Y_CH3c = 5, ASK Y_CH3cOTH

Y_CH3cOTH

What is the term that you use?

[TEXT BOX]

DON’T KNOW

PREFER NOT TO ANSWER

Y_SX32a

Which of the following best represents how you think of yourself?

1 Lesbian or gay

2 Straight, that is, not gay or lesbian

3 Bisexual

4 [IF Y_CH8a = 1] Two-spirit

5 I use a different term

6 DON’T KNOW

7 PREFER NOT TO ANSWER

IF Y_SX32a = 5, ASK Y_SXOTH

Y_SX3OTH

What is the term that you use?

[TEXT BOX]

DON’T KNOW

PREFER NOT TO ANSWER

Proposed New Items to Appendix C-1: NSCAW Caregiver Remote Interview and Appendix C: NSCAW III Caregiver Interview

P_HH27sex

What sex were you assigned at birth, on your original birth certificate?

1) Female

2) Male

3) DON’T KNOW

4) PREFER NOT TO ANSWER

P_HHgen

What is your current gender?

1) Female

2) Male

3) Transgender

4) [IF P_HH27a = 1] Two-Spirit

5) I use a different term

6) DON’T KNOW

7) PREFER NOT TO ANSWER

[IF P_HHgen = 5, ASK P_HHgenOTH]

P_HHgenOTH

What is the term that you use?

[TEXT BOX]

DON’T KNOW

PREFER NOT TO ANSWER

P_HHsorient

Which of the following best represents how you think of yourself?

1) Lesbian or gay

2) Straight, that is, not gay or lesbian

3) Bisexual

4) [IF P_HH27a = 1] Two-Spirit

5) I use a different term

6) DON’T KNOW

7) PREFER NOT TO ANSWER

[IF P_HHsorient = 5, ASK P_HHsorientOTH]

P_HHsorientOTH

What is the term that you use?

[TEXT BOX]

DON’T KNOW

PREFER NOT TO ANSWER

References

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2022). Measuring Sex, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/26424.

Office of Management and Budget (2016). Federal Interagency Working Group on Improving Measurement of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Federal Surveys. Evaluations of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Survey Measures: What Have We Learned? Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/FCSM/pdf/Evaluations_of_SOGI_Questions_20160923.pdf

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