Appendix D: Study FAQs for Families

Appendix D

Study FAQs for Families

Share your thoughts about your experience enrolling in home visiting and receive $40/$55!

Mathematica, a research company, wants to conduct a 60-minute virtual [or in-person if site chooses that mode] interview with you to hear about your experience with enrolling in home visiting.

Information you share will be kept private and will not affect any services you are receiving.

The interview will be over the phone or Zoom [or in-person if a site chooses that mode]. It will take place between [Month XX, XXXX] and [Month XX, XXXX] at a time [and location, if a site chooses the in-person mode] that works for you.

If you want to participate, please let [name of home visitor] or [name of on-site coordinator] know so that they can provide us with your name and phone number. You can also call or email [name of Mathematica recruiter] at [phone number] and [email address].

Frequently Asked Questions for Families

What is the project about?

The Understanding and Expanding the Reach of Home Visiting Project will take an in-depth look at how families like yours are matched to home visiting services and their experiences with this process.

Who is sponsoring and conducting the project?

The Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, along with the Health Resources and Services Administration, is sponsoring the study. Mathematica, a research organization, is conducting this study with Brazelton Touchpoints Center and Social Grove.

Why am I being contacted?

Staff at your home visiting program recommended you as someone who might be willing to speak with us about your experiences with enrolling in home visiting in an interview lasting about 60 minutes [For sites that choose virtual data collection: (over the phone or Zoom)/for sites that choose in-person data collection: (at a location convenient to you)]. We will ask you questions about how you heard about home visiting, why you decided to enroll in home visiting, and how you were connected to the home visiting program. We will also ask you to complete a brief, five-question form about your household. If you are a two-parent/caregiver household, we’d like to conduct the interview with the parent/caregiver who was most involved in enrolling to receive home visiting services.

What are the risks and benefits of participating?

There are no anticipated risks associated with participating. To thank you for your participation and perspectives, you will receive $40 [$55 for sites that choose the in-person data collection]. The information you share will help improve how families like yours are reached by home visiting.

Do I have to participate?

No. Choosing not to participate will not affect you, your child, or the services you receive in any way. Your participation will help us learn important lessons about how we can improve enrollment in home visiting for families like yours. If you do choose to participate, you can change your mind about your participation at any time and for any reason. You can also choose not to answer any questions that make you uncomfortable.

How will you protect my privacy and use the information you collect for this project?

Before we begin each interview, we will collect permission from you. During this consent process, we will explain the purpose of the interview, how we will use the information collected from the interview, and remind you that your participation is voluntary. Your answers to the interview questions will be kept private to the extent permitted by law, which means we would only share information if you indicate that you have harmed or express an intent to harm yourself or someone else. The information you share will not be shared with other parents, staff at the home visiting program, or anyone else not working on this project. We will combine what we learn across all of our interviews in written reports. We will not use your name, your home visiting agency’s name, or any other information that would mean someone could identify you in our reports. This project has obtained a Certificate of Confidentiality from the National Institutes of Health and has been given Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval by the Health Media Lab Institutional Review Board. If you have any questions or concerns about the study and / or your privacy rights, please contact Harshini Shah, the survey director, at hshah@mathematica-mpr.com or (617) 674-8360.