Appendix C. Family Input Example Direct Emails to TANF-CS Programs

Appendix C.

Family Input Example Direct Emails to TANF-CS Programs

OMB Control No: 0970-0531

Expiration date: 09/30/2025

Subject: Opportunity for [TANF/child support] programs: Federal study & TA on gathering and using family input

Dear [program contact],

 

We are working with the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) in the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to conduct a study to better understand how TANF and child support programs can gather and use family input to improve their programs. [If relevant/known, insert personalized sentence about how this topic might be of interest to the program contact.]

We have recently created a toolkit (the “Family Input Resources” [if available, insert hyperlink to Family Input Resources]), which is a collection of guidance, tools, and information to support collaboration among program staff, administrators, and the families those programs serve to improve service delivery, operations, policy, and more. We developed the toolkit based on our work with an Expert Workgroup of TANF, Tribal TANF, and Child Support administrators, front-line staff, and people with lived experience in the programs. The toolkit is also informed by a literature scan and interviews with human service program leaders experienced in engaging families during program improvement.

We are now seeking programs to pilot test the Family Input Resources as they engage in program improvement and seek feedback from the families they serve. This is an opportunity to lead a program improvement initiative that includes families’ feedback while receiving technical assistance from the study team and hands-on support in using the Family Input Resources. Please see the attached flier about the pilot test opportunity and study description for more information.

If you are interested in participating, please complete this short expression of interest form [hyperlink to expression of interest form] no later than [Day, XX/XX/XXXX].

OPRE has contracted with Mathematica and its subcontractor, MEF Associates, to conduct this study. Please don’t hesitate to contact the study team lead (Jeanette Holdbrook at jholdbrook@mathematica-mpr.com) or the OPRE project officer (Lisa Zingman at lisa.zingman@acf.gov) if you have any questions.

Thanks so much and I hope you will consider expressing interest!

Sincerely,

[NAME]

OMB Control No: 0970-0531

Expiration date: 09/30/2025

Subject: Invitation to discuss pilot test with the Moving Forward: Further Incorporating Family Input Study

Hello [name],

Thank you for your interest in participating in a pilot test with the TANF and Child Support Moving Forward: Further Incorporating Family Input study! The study team has reviewed your expression of interest form and would like to schedule a 30-minute call in the next few weeks.

During the conversation, we would like to know more about your program and the families you serve, your ideas to improve your program, and your experience and interest in seeking input from families to improve your program. The study team will share additional information about the pilot test to help you assess whether the opportunity is right for your program and will answer any questions you have.

We strongly suggest including any key staff (up to four others) at your agency who might need to weigh in on your participation and who might be involved in the program improvement effort, if your program is selected.

Please let us know if any of the following days and times work for you by [date one week after sending email]. If not, please let us know your availability between now and [date three weeks from email] for a 30-minute conversation.

• [Date and time option]

• [Date and time option]

• [Date and time option]

Based on the discussion, your expression of interest form, and responses from other programs that express interest, the study team may invite you to participate in the study, invite you to serve as an alternate if another program declines or drops out, or let you know that your program was not selected for the study. The study team will select eight programs and four alternate programs for the study, including a mix of program types (TANF, Tribal TANF, child support, and Tribal child support), geography, size, and administration type (state, territory, Tribal, and local).

If you have any questions or comments about the study, please contact the study’s federal project officer, Lisa Zingman at lisa.zingman@acf.gov. You may also contact the study lead, Jeanette Holdbrook at jholdbrook@mathematica-mpr.com.

Thank you in advance for your interest in this important study. We look forward to speaking with you.

Best,

[Name]

OMB Control No: 0970-0531

Expiration date: 09/30/2025

Subject: Update on your expression of interest to pilot test the Family Input Resources

Dear [program contact],

 

[ALL] Thank you for your expression of interest in pilot testing the Family Input Resources, as part of a study to better understand how TANF and child support programs can gather and use family input to improve programs.

[If selected as a pilot site] We are pleased to inform you that your program has been selected to participate in the pilot test. Congratulations! We look forward to partnering with you and pilot testing the Family Input Resources [insert hyperlink to Family Input Resources] as you engage in program improvement and seek feedback from the families you serve. The pilot testing period will last 12 months and can begin between [month] and [month].

We will reach out soon with details about establishing a short site agreement that outlines our respective roles during pilot testing. Once that is in place, we will schedule our first meeting with you. Please begin thinking about who you might want on your Implementation Team: this should be a core group of up to eight people who will lead and carry out your program improvement effort using the Family Input Resources. We suggest this team include a mix of staff at different levels within your program. Our goal for our first meeting will be to learn more about what you’re interested in accomplishing, both in terms of program improvement and family engagement in the process.

[If selected as an alternate site] We are not able to include your program in our group of pilot sites at this time. However, we would like to invite you to be an alternate pilot site in the study. This means you might have the opportunity to join the study if one of the selected pilot sites is unable to continue participating in the study for any reason. Please confirm you’re interested in being an alternate pilot site by replying to this email directly.

The Family Input Resources are available here: [include URL to project page].

[If not selected to participate] Unfortunately, we had more interest from programs than we could accommodate in this pilot test. While your program was not selected for the pilot at this time, we would like to stay in touch. The Family Input Resources are available here: [include URL to project page]. We welcome your feedback about them.

[ALL] Thank you for the important work that you do. Please don’t hesitate to contact the study team lead (Jeanette Holdbrook at jholdbrook@mathematica-mpr.com) or the OPRE project officer (Lisa Zingman at lisa.zingman@acf.gov) if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

[NAME]