SHM Control Group Survey Complete Package Submission

SHM Control Services OMB Supporting Statement and Instrument-Final 08 23 07.doc

Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM) Project: Control Services Survey

SHM Control Group Survey Complete Package Submission

OMB: 0970-0330

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Contract No.: 223-03-0034

Contract Amount: $74,938,364

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

FOR OMB CLEARANCE: PART A

DHHS/ACF

SUPPORTING HEALTHY MARRIAGE (SHM)

PROJECT EVALUATION

LOW-INCOME MARRIED COUPLES DATA COLLECTION ACTIVITIES –

CONTROL SERVICES SURVEY

August 22, 2007

Prepared for:	Prepared by:

Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families	MDRC
370 L’Enfant Promenade, SW	16 East 34^th Street, 19^th Floor
Washington, DC 20447	New York, NY 10016
Phone: 202-401-5372	Phone: 212-340-8678

Project Officer:	Principal Investigator:
Mark Fucello	Virginia Knox

A. JUSTIFICATION....................................................................................................................3

A1. Circumstances Necessitating Data Collection.....................................................................3

A1.1 Overview of the SHM Evaluation...........................................................................4

A2. How, By Whom and For What Purpose Are Data to be Used...........................................5

A2.1 The Role of the SHM Control Services Survey.......................................................6

A2.2 Contents of the Control Services Survey.................................................................6

A3. Use of Information Technology for Data Collection to Reduce Respondent Burden......7

A4. Efforts to Identify Duplication..............................................................................................7

A5. Burden on Small Business.....................................................................................................7

A6. Consequences to Federal Program or Policy Activities if the Collection of Information is not Conducted or is Conducted Less Frequently..................................7

A7. Special Data Collection Circumstances...............................................................................8

A8. Form 5 CFR 1320.8(d) and Consultations Prior to OMB Submission.............................8

A9. Justification for Respondent Payments..................................................................... .........9

A10. Confidentiality...................................................................................................................10

A10.1 Confidentiality and the Control Services Survey..................................................11

A11. Questions of a Sensitive Nature.......................................................................................12

A12. Estimates of the Hour Burden of Data Collection to Respondents..............................12

A12.1 Estimates of the Cost Burden of Data Collection to Respondents.......................13

A13. Estimates of Capital, Operating, and Start-Up Costs to Respondents

and Record-Keepers.......................................................................................................13

A14. Estimates of Cost to Federal Government......................................................................14

A15. Changes in Burden............................................................................................................14

A16. Tabulation, Analysis, and Publication Plans and Schedule..........................................14

A17. Reasons for Not Displaying the OMB Approval Expiration Date...............................14

A18. Exceptions to Certification Statement............................................................................14

B. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION USING STATISTICAL METHODS..................15

B1. Sampling and Analysis.......................................................................................................15

B2. Procedures for Collection of Information........................................................................15

B2.1 Procedures for the Control Services Data Collection..........................................16

B3. Maximizing Response Rates..............................................................................................16

B4. Pre-Testing..........................................................................................................................17

B5. Consultants on Statistical Aspects of the Design.............................................................17

List of Exhibits

A1-1 Major Research Questions in the SHM Evaluation.....................................................4

A12-1 Annual Estimated Burden Hours of the SHM Control Services Survey..................13

List of Attachments

A: Control Services Survey Instrument..................................................................................18

B: Federal Register Notices......................................................................................................38

C: Letter to Potential Survey Respondents.............................................................................43

D: Informed Consent Agreement for SHM baseline collection……………………….……44

A. JUSTIFICATION

A1. Circumstances Necessitating Data Collection

Recent declines in marriage in the United States have had disproportionate effects on poor children. Increasing numbers of children are born to poor unmarried parents, and children of poor married parents are twice as likely as children of affluent married parents to experience their parents’ break-up. The accumulating evidence points to markedly better outcomes when children are raised by married parents and suggests that these differences partly are due to marriage’s effects on the income, relationships, and quality of parenting available to children.

For these reasons, as the federal government and state governments develop new programs and policies to inform provisions in the 1996 TANF legislation to support the formation and maintenance of two-parent families, there is great interest in preventive strategies aimed at improving the quality and duration of marital relationships. Thus, in 2001 the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched its Healthy Marriage Initiative.

The ACF initiative seeks to “help couples who choose marriage for themselves access services that will help them develop the skills and knowledge to form and sustain healthy marriages.” These services will center on research-based marriage education curricula developed by experts in the field. Prior to the ACF initiative, these services were primarily available to middle- and upper-class couples, and formal evaluation of these programs was limited to a series of small-sample studies. This initiative emphasizes broadening access to low-income populations while ensuring that the services are accompanied by referrals to other supports that families may need in order to participate and to sustain healthy marital relationships. It also includes a rigorous evaluation agenda.

The Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM) Demonstration is the first large-scale, multi-site test of marriage education programs for low-income married couples.^¹ It offers a tremendous opportunity to build knowledge on how to support healthy marriages. The study design is based upon random assignment, the strongest known method for assessing program effects. The multi-site structure provides flexibility to assess a variety of approaches to marriage education over a long follow-up period. This well-designed study will illuminate the determinants of healthy marriages, and any tests that improve marital outcomes will provide important information about the causal links between such improvements and outcomes for children, adults, and families.

A1.1 Overview of the SHM Evaluation

The SHM evaluation, which began in September 2003, builds on the evidence described in the previous section. It is the first large-scale, multi-year, multi-site rigorous test of marriage education programs for low-income married couples. It is designed to inform program operators and policymakers of the most effective ways to help couples strengthen and maintain healthy marriages. Exhibit A1-1 lists the major research questions addressed in the evaluation, which will be presented through a mix of site-specific reports and cross-cutting documents summarizing results and lessons across the sites.

Exhibit A1-1

Major Research Questions in the SHM Evaluation

How effective is marriage education for low-income married couples and what outcomes does it affect? Marriage education has shown some positive effects on middle class couples in improving relationship quality. Can similar positive effects be found for low-income married couples? Can marriage education increase marital stability and improve child well-being as well?
Who benefits the most and least from marriage education? Low-income married couples are a diverse group. An important question for SHM is whether marriage education works better for some groups than for others. For example, does it have different effects for couples about to have their first child or those whose oldest child is about to become a teenager?
Why do some marriage education programs work better than others? Because SHM deals with a relatively new type of social intervention, implementation research holds the promise of being able to identify best practices. The project will describe each site’s goals and service models; the start-up challenges sites faced; and early lessons on designing marriage skills programs, securing program funding, building interagency partnerships, identifying and recruiting couples, and encouraging participation.

MDRC and its subcontractors are working with eight pilot sites around the country to implement and test SHM programs. The SHM project includes the following sites:

The University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
Catholic Charities, Wichita, KS
University Behavioral Associates, Bronx, NY
Public Strategies, Oklahoma City, OK
Community Prevention Partnership, Reading, PA
Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Austin, TX
Becoming Parents Program, Seattle, WA
Center for Human Services, Shoreline, WA

We will work intensively with each site to develop, refine, and pilot test its proposed demonstration project and to put in place the random assignment and data collection protocols necessary to implement the evaluation. In each site, once the program to be tested has been designed in detail, MDRC’s team^² will support the staff training and start-up process and conduct an assessment during a pilot period. This will ensure that the model is being operated as planned and that the flow of clients through the program is consistent with both program and evaluation requirements. After each site completes a six-month pilot, the research team will also conduct a brief survey to examine the differential between service received by the control group and the program group. ACF is currently seeking OMB approval for this data collection. Beginning in the pilot phase, participants are randomly assigned to research groups to allow the research team to monitor the assignment process. The projects will collect baseline information from couples in the program group and the control group (OMB No. 0970-0299) to help describe the population being served, to assess the validity of random assignment, and to define key sub-groups for later analyses. As a result of the pilot experience, projects will refine their program model to reflect any lessons learned and will then begin to assign couples to the actual research sample groups. (In places where random assignment has worked very well during the pilot period and where little program refinement is required, couples randomly assigned during the pilot period may remain in the permanent research groups for the study.)

MDRC will continually monitor the demonstration programs and examine any research design challenges to develop recommendations to strengthen the programs. Follow-up surveys at the 12-, and 36 month points will be used to evaluate program impacts. These surveys will include respondents from among the couples who participate in the program as well as couples in the control group. During the 12-month follow-up, MDRC will also conduct an observational study of couple interactions and parent-child interactions. Assessments of child outcomes will be included in the 36- month survey. Justifications for information collection associated with these activities will be provided at the appropriate time.

The next section provides more detail on the control services survey currently requiring OMB approval, as well as the role that the resulting data will play in the SHM evaluation. The proposed control services survey instrument is included in Attachment A.

A2. How, By Whom, and For What Purpose Are Data to be Used

This document requests OMB clearance for activities related to the control services survey developed as part of the SHM evaluation. The information gathered in the control services survey will be used to describe how many couples in the control group received marriage education and other support services, in comparison with couples in the program group. We will also use the data to describe participation in SHM services among program group members. These data will thus help us understand the differential in service receipt between the two research groups. The SHM evaluation team consists of MDRC and its partners, Abt Associates, Child Trends, Optimal Solutions Group, and McFarland and Associates. We will administer this data collection to all participants in the SHM pilot in each site, but will not administer it to participants enrolled in the evaluation research sample after the pilot period ends unless we are unable to locate a sufficient number of respondents from the pilot sample.

A2.1 The Role of the SHM Control Services Survey

In order to conduct a fair test of the SHM program, the research team must be sure that similar kinds of marriage education services are not readily accessible to control group members elsewhere in the community. This is particularly important given the large number of healthy marriage grants recently made by the Administration for Children and Families, including some in the same areas as our emerging sites. Abt Associates, as part of the SHM research team, will conduct a brief survey with pilot sample members to assess the service receipt differential between the program and control groups.

Each of the participants in the SHM pilot study will be contacted by Abt Associates about three to six months after they are enrolled in the pilot to complete a brief survey over the phone. We may also contact some participants in the full evaluation if the pilot sample is not large enough. The purpose of this survey is to identify the kinds of services that participants have received since random assignment, either from the SHM program or from other agencies in the community. This will be combined with data from the program MIS about the services that program group members received from a site’s SHM program. This will allow the research team to determine whether there is a sufficient differential between the services received by the program and control group to constitute a fair test of the SHM intervention, and to provide technical assistance to sites to help strengthen the differential between the program and control groups in sites in which the control group is receiving substantial services.

If our analysis of these data indicate that a substantial proportion of the control group is receiving services in the community that are very similar to those that the program group is receiving from SHM, MDRC and ACF may elect not to include an emerging site from the pilot into the full evaluation or may remove a site from the full evaluation. We do not anticipate this outcome, given the types of services that have been documented to date in the geographic areas served by our sites. Instead, we are likely to use the information to provide technical assistance to help sites to strengthen the differential if needed.

A2.2 Contents of the Control Services Survey

The control services survey is intended to be quite brief and in pre-tests, took only about five minutes to administer. Because the pre-test respondents received very few marriage education or counseling services outside of SHM, we anticipate that the survey could take up to 15 minutes, depending on the kinds of services that a respondent received since enrolling in the study. For the purpose of this submission, we estimate that the average respondent burden will be about 10 minutes. The survey will ask questions about the following five modules:

Participation in marriage education services, including the length of services, whether it was in a group setting, whether the participant attended these services with their spouse, and the name of the program.
Participation in other marriage services, such as counseling or therapy. This will also include questions about the length of services, whether the participant attended these services with their spouse, and the name of the agency or program.
Participation in other intensive parenting or home visiting services. This will include questions about the name of the agency or program and the intensity of services.
Reasons for non-attendance. Members of the program group will be asked how many of their assigned marriage education workshops they attended. If they answer “None” or “Some”, they will be asked to identify the reasons they did not attend from a list.
Update contact information. Respondents will be asked to update their contact information so that the research team can send the respondent’s payment to the correct address. Also, in cases where respondents remain in the study sample, the survey staff will need to be able to reach them for later follow-up surveys.

A3. Use of Information Technology for Data Collection to Reduce Respondent Burden

The use of improved technology has been incorporated into the data collection design wherever possible in order to reduce respondent burden. Interviewers will administer the control services survey using a Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) system. Computer-administered surveys reduce burden by skipping inappropriate and non-applicable questions, thus facilitating a more streamlined survey administration. For example, respondents who are in the control group will not be prompted to answer questions about their attendance at SHM program services. This technology will allow for an easier and quicker survey process and will be implemented in all sites.

A4. Efforts to Identify Duplication

The SHM control services survey will collect information about particular kinds of services that may be accessed by the specific individuals who will be participating in the SHM study. Because we need to ask these questions of both the control group members and the program group members and because we are asking about services that may not be provided by the SHM program, this information is not readily available in other program records, nor does any other research duplicate this information for the specific individuals who will participate in the SHM evaluation.

A5. Burden on Small Business

Does not apply. All respondents are individuals.

A6. Consequences to Federal Program or Policy Activities if the Collection of Information is not Conducted or is Conducted Less Frequently

Without collecting the information in the control services survey, the SHM research team will be unable to assess whether there is a sufficient differential in the services received by the SHM program group and the SHM control group to provide a fair test of the SHM program model. If the control group in the SHM study receives similar services to those provided by the SHM program it will be impossible to determine the real impacts of the SHM program. The control services survey will allow the research team to understand the service differential near the time that each site begins to enroll participants in the SHM study. If necessary, we would be able to implement measures to increase the intensity of the SHM program model, identify different recruitment sources, or decide not to move a site forward into the full evaluation.

In sum, without the control services survey, we will be unable to conduct the fairest and most accurate evaluation of marriage education programs. Program operators and policy-makers interested in providing marriage education to low-income couples would be left with less information about the best strategies to target different groups and less certainty about marriage education’s overall effectiveness as an intervention.

A7. Special Data Collection Circumstances

No such circumstances.

A8. Form 5 CFR 1320.8(d) and Consultations Prior to OMB Submission

The 60-day Federal Register notice soliciting comments for the SHM baseline data collection was published in the Federal Register, Volume 72, Number 82, page 21266 on April 30, 2007. The 30-day Federal Register notice was published in the Federal Register, Volume 72, Number 131, page 37534 on July 10, 2007. A copy of the published 60-day Federal Register notice and the published 30-day Federal Register notice are located in Attachment B. ACF/HHS received two comments resulting from the published 30-day Federal Register notice. One comment was a request for a copy of the draft survey instrument, which MDRC provided. The second comment questioned the value of conducting research on healthy marriage, but did not provide any specific comments or questions about the proposed data collection. Therefore, we have not made any resulting changes to the survey instrument or data collection plans.

Although this survey represents efforts to break new ground in assessing programs specifically designed to assist the low-income married population, it builds on previous survey research. We have consequently developed instruments that incorporate items from other major studies. Many of the questions in the SHM control services survey are based on program participation items included in the 15-month follow-up survey for the Building Strong Families (BSF) project (OMB No. 0970-0304), which is being conducted by Mathematica Policy Research. These questions have been adapted to meet the specific needs of the SHM project and its focus on married couples. BSF is focused on romantically involved, unwed new or expectant parents.

Surveys previously fielded by MDRC about the receipt of social services also provided a natural starting place for the development of this instrument. However, because the emerging SHM interventions enter a field in which there is very little prior research, both at MDRC and in the broader research community, many items selected for inclusion have been developed for the specific purpose of this instrument. Some questions were included exactly as they were asked in previous surveys, while others were modified to reflect the goals of the SHM project as fully as possible, and also to reflect the population’s low literacy and comprehension skills.

The key instruments that were used in the development of the control services survey questions are as follows:

MDRC surveys, including those used in the following projects: the Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) project (OMB No. 0970-0242 and OMB No. 0970-0265); the Enhanced Services for the Hard-to-Employ (HtE) project (OMB No. 233-01-0012); and the Work Advancement and Support Center project (private foundation –funded survey);

The 15-month follow-up survey instrument, developed by Mathematica Policy Research for the Building Strong Families project (OMB No. 0970-0304); and
The Oklahoma Baseline Statewide Survey on Marriage and Divorce, a state-wide survey designed to measure aspects of family and marital life, as well as prior participation in marriage education services.

In the course of developing the control services survey instrument, MDRC also drew on the internal expertise of Dr. Charles Michalopoulos, Dr. Virginia Knox, Dr. JoAnn Hsueh, and Jo Anna Hunter, each of whom have been involved with developing surveys and impact analysis at MDRC for numerous projects.

A9. Justification for Respondent Payments

We are aiming to achieve an 80 percent completion rate for the control services survey. This survey has some unique aspects that make administration difficult and threaten response rates. We are therefore requesting clearance to offer a monetary incentive to those who complete the control services survey. Aspects of the survey effort that may make it more difficult to obtain high completion rates are:

The surveys include questions that could be perceived as somewhat intrusive and therefore could make respondents reluctant to participate (i.e., questions about participation in marriage education services, therapy or counseling, all of which could be perceived as placing a stigma on participants).

Other difficulties in administering the control service survey come from the population itself. Educational and economically disadvantaged groups, such as those in the SHM pilot sample, have been found to be more difficult than the general population to convince to participate in surveys.

These difficulties interact to make this survey of SHM pilot sample members more difficult to conduct than surveys of the general population. In addition, the pilot sample for each SHM site is very small. We plan to administer the control services survey to between 86 and 174 respondents in each site, depending on the size of that site’s SHM pilot. Consequently, it is especially important that we obtain completion rates high enough that they allow us to draw conclusions from this data. Furthermore, because the results of this survey will be used to make decisions about individual sites, we will need to obtain sufficient respondents in each site, not merely from the overall SHM pilot sample.

Thus, we are requesting clearance to use respondent payments for those who complete the control services survey to obtain completion rates that will yield credible results, to avoid the bias that could result from selective non-response, and to reduce item non-response. In addition, providing an incentive for the control services survey will also increase the likelihood that these sample members will respond to later follow-up surveys because sample members who receive monetary incentives for completing a past survey are more likely to respond to subsequent surveys (Singer, et al., 1998). We believe that MDRC’s previous experiences with surveys of welfare recipients and other disadvantaged populations make a strong case for the use of gifts and respondent payments for completing the SHM control services survey.

To be effective, the amount of the incentives must fit the burden of the survey. We have based the amount to be paid to SHM respondents on prior research, and MDRC’s prior experience with similar populations. We propose a $10 incentive for each member of the couple who completes the SHM control services survey.

A10. Confidentiality

Each potential participant in the SHM control services survey will have been read the agreement to take part in the SHM study when they enrolled in SHM (see Attachment D for the entire informed consent form - OMB Control Number: 0970-0299). This statement will explain the study and will assure them of their privacy and rights as respondents. Specifically, the reference to confidentiality reads:

If you agree to be in the study, researchers will collect information about you and your children.

The information you share with the study team is important. It could help make these services available to other couples like you. At the start of the study, you and your spouse will be asked to answer some questions in private. These questions will ask you how well you get along with your spouse, how happy or sad you are, and what makes you upset.

If you agree to be in the study, you and your spouse will be interviewed one or more times over the next seven years by a survey company called Abt Associates. Abt Associates is part of the research team for this study. You will be asked about your marriage, how well you are getting along with your spouse, your experiences with [Local program], and your children. You might also be asked to let us do some activities with your children. You do not have to answer any question that you don’t want to answer. You will get [gift amount] for each interview.

If you agree to be in the study, [Local Program] program will share information with the research team about the services you get over the next five years as well. We might also collect data from [State] about things like your wages and benefits. We might also collect data from [State] about services your children get, and your children’s school test scores.

Taking part in the study is your choice. You may stop being in the study at any time. If you stop being in the study, we will use any information that we have collected before then.

Your Answers Will Be Kept Private

Only the study staff will be able to see information you give them. Your name will never appear in any public document. All the study staff is trained to protect privacy. Information gathered from [State] about you or your children will be marked with a code number, not names. We also have a Confidentiality Certificate (CC) from the US government that adds special protection for the research information about you. It says we do not have to identify you, even under a court order or subpoena. Still, if keeping your answers private would put you, someone else or your child in serious danger, then we will have to tell government agencies to protect you or the other person. And, the government may see your information if it audits us.

At the outset of the control services, survey, respondents will be reminded that they can refuse to answer the questions, their answers will be kept confidential, and that their agreement or refusal to participate will not affect their participation in the study or the ability to get services now or in the future.

The SHM Confidentiality Certificate from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism authorizes anyone connected with any information collections that are part of the SHM project to withhold the identity of subjects of the research. The Confidentiality Certificate protects the privacy of all research data gathered by researchers from MDRC, its subcontractors and cooperating agencies, and anyone else who may come into contact with research information about SHM study participants.

A10.1 Confidentiality and the Control Services Survey

Abt Associates will be responsible for administering the survey effort. Interviewers have access to the sample member’s name, address and telephone number which have been stored in their laptop. All laptops used by Abt Associates’ interviewers and other members of the SHM project research team meet OMB’s and ACF’s data security and encryption standards. Abt’s proprietary Bellview CATI software allows interviewers to read and add information to files. They cannot print or change information. Specifically:

Interviewers are not given the SSN’s of sample members. They are given Abt-generated ID numbers.
Cases are delivered electronically through a sample control subsystem that is part of the Bellview CATI system.
Interviewers can obtain sample member’s name, address, and telephone information from the Bellview CATI system. This system only allows the interviewer to read information, not print or extract it by other means.

Handling case material. Interviewers are sent cases via the CATI Data Collection System, which is integrated into Abt’s proprietary Field Management System (FMS). The FMS is a major application composed of a set of interrelated applications that control all aspects of sampling, data collection, data cleaning and delivery of survey data. Interviewers are instructed to keep the Abt ID number, respondent name, contact address, telephone information and answers private. The interviewers are also instructed not to disclose any information to anyone not associated with the project. Interviewers are allowed to discuss the interviews during interviewer meetings and during one-to-one supervisory sessions, but the interviews must be discussed in general terms, not identifying the individual.

In general, the interviewers do not have hard-copy files and all survey activities are completed electronically. If they have any handwritten notes used during the tracking and locating process, these notes must be shredded at the end of each interview.

Training procedures for interviewers. Abt Associates has a zero tolerance policy with regard to falsification or violation of respondent confidentiality/privacy. Confidentiality requirements are reviewed with all project employees and in addition, in project specific trainings which include modules on confidentiality and the protection of privacy covered. Abt Associate employees must also sign confidentiality pledges as a condition of their employment.

A11. Questions of a Sensitive Nature

This section contains additional justification for questions of a sensitive nature included in the control services survey. The questions on this survey deal primarily with services that study participants have accessed since random assignment, either through the SHM program or in the community. Some of these questions may be viewed as being sensitive in nature if a participant was uncomfortable disclosing that they sought help for their marriage or that they did not participate in SHM services. However, these kinds of questions are routinely asked in surveys and few people refuse to answer them. During survey pre-testing conducted by Abt Associates, none of the respondents refused to answer these questions. Importantly, at the outset of this survey, respondents will be reminded that they can refuse to answer the questions, their answers will be kept confidential, and that their agreement or refusal to participate will not affect their participation in the study or the ability to get services now or in the future.

A12. Estimates of the Hour Burden of Data Collection to Respondents

Participation in the control services survey is completely voluntary. No sanction or penalty will be applied to those participants receiving state or federal assistance who choose not to provide information. The control services survey will be administered to every participant in each site’s SHM pilot, but respondents can choose not to answer any question.

As detailed in Section A2.2, respondents will be asked to respond to a brief series of questions about the services they have received since entering the SHM pilot. This includes questions about marriage education services and other services provided by the SHM site. It also asks respondents in the SHM program group about their attendance at SHM services. Lastly, respondents are asked to confirm their contact information.

MDRC projects that the data collection will be conducted within one year and the annual hour burden reflects that assumption. MDRC plans to administer the control services survey to between 86 and 174 respondents per site, or 808 respondents in one year, assuming an 80 percent response rate to this survey. Because our purpose is to examine service receipt by sample members separately in each location of the study, we will need somewhat larger samples in sites that are recruiting and serving sample members in more than one location. Thus, sites with one location will have 86 respondents; sites with two locations will have 114 respondents, and the site with 3 locations will have 174 respondents. MDRC plans to randomly select couples from our SHM pilot sample for this survey. If we expect that we will not have enough sample members in the pilot phase to reach these sample sizes in a given site, we will select all of the pilot couples as well as a small number of couples who enter the full evaluation phase of the study.

Total burden hours are calculated as the number of respondents multiplied by the length of the control services survey. The response burden described here assumes that the study will include 8 sites with 86 to 174 respondents per site (or 808 respondents total) as the maximum possible burden for control services survey respondents.

The annual estimated burden hours are noted in Exhibit A12-1 below.

Exhibit A12-1

Annual Estimated Burden Hours of the SHM Control Services Survey

Instrument

Annual Number of Respondents

Number of Responses per Respondent

Average Burden Hours per Response

Estimated Annual Burden Hours

Eligibility Checklist

808

0.17 hours

137.4 hours

Estimated Annual Burden Hours:

137.4 hours

A12.1 Estimates of Cost Burden of Data Collection to Respondents

The SHM control services survey respondents will not be asked to incur costs that result from the proposed survey data collection activities. Their participation in the control services survey and in the SHM study is entirely voluntary.

A13. Estimates of Capital, Operating, and Start-Up Costs to Respondents and Record Keepers

Not applicable. The control services survey will be administered by research interviewers employed by Abt Associates and funded by MDRC as part of its research contract with ACF.

A14. Estimates of Costs to Federal Government

The estimated cost for designing the control services survey, preparing submissions for OMB and for MDRC’s institutional review board, administering the survey, data entry and processing, and monitoring this survey effort is $207,799. This estimate also includes an incentive of $10 per person to compensate respondents for their time and maximize response rates. We expect these costs to spread out over two years as we design the survey, administer it in each site, and process the results. This estimate includes $30,000 in 2007 and $177,799 in 2008. These costs do not include any costs of reporting on the control services survey data, since any reporting will be in the context of future implementation or impact reports.

A15. Changes in Burden

The efforts are all new data collection efforts and do not involve a change in burden.

A16. Tabulation, Analysis, and Publication Plans and Schedule

ACF expects that MDRC and Abt Associates will begin administering the control services survey in pilot sites in fall 2007. The exact timing of the survey will depend on progress in site development and program pilots. We intend to begin administering the survey about six months after each site has begun its SHM pilot. Summaries of the survey data will be prepared within a few months after survey administration is completed in each site.

At this time, there are no plans for publications exclusively dedicated to analyses of the control services survey. The survey data is primarily intended for use by ACF, MDRC and its subcontractors in determining whether there is a sufficient service differential between the program group and the control group to constitute a fair test of the SHM program model. However, as noted earlier, the information obtained through the control services survey will be critical to the overall SHM project and the SHM project includes plans for many publications, including our first report profiling the selected demonstration/evaluation site programs and discussing random assignment scheduled for 2008, implementation evaluation reports including a case study for each site in 2009, and interim and final impact analysis reports scheduled for 2010, 2012, and 2014, as well as research briefs and special topic reports as requested.

A17. Reasons for Not Displaying the OMB Approval Expiration Date

Not applicable. We intend to display the OMB approval number and expiration date on all survey materials.

A18. Exceptions to Certification Statement

Not applicable. We have no exceptions to the Certification Statement.

B. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION USING STATISTICAL METHODS

B1. Sampling and Analysis

The control services survey sample will contain between 86 and 174 respondents in each site. The size of the sample will be determined by the size of the pilot in each site. We will need somewhat larger samples in sites that are recruiting and serving sample members in more than one location in order to examine service receipt by sample members separately in each location of the study. Thus, sites with one location will have 86 respondents; sites with two locations will have 114 respondents, and the site with 3 locations will have 174 respondents. MDRC plans to randomly select couples from our SHM pilot sample for this survey. We plan to analyze this survey data primarily for each individual site rather than pooling survey responses. Because the purpose of this analysis is to identify any location-specific problems with control group members receiving extensive services that are similar to SHM, the universe of respondents for the survey will include individuals of who differ by age, race, income, level of marital distress, and a host of other factors.

The analysis for the control services survey will be primarily descriptive. We will analyze the data to determine how many couples received marriage education, marriage counseling or therapy, or other related services. For respondents who are in the program group, we will also examine their attendance at SHM services and their reasons for absences, if applicable. The data will be used to produce descriptive tables, percents, means, and distributions for the entire sample in each site. We will also compare the program group responses to the control group responses using appropriate statistical tests. If we determine that the control group is receiving significant levels of marriage education or marriage counseling services, we may investigate these services further using qualitative methods.

B2. Procedures for Collection of Information

The following approaches will be used to collect the control services survey data:

MDRC will compile a list of potential survey respondents and contact information using information entered by site staff in the SHM MIS. MDRC will provide this list to Abt Associates, the survey administrators, about three to six months after the start of the site’s SHM pilot.
Interviewers from Abt Associates’ CATI Center will track, locate, and contact respondents to complete the control services survey. Prior to contacting potential respondents, Abt will send them a letter about the control services survey (see Attachment C).
Interviewers will then contact respondents to complete the brief, approximately 10-minute control services survey using the CATI system. All surveys will be completed in Abt’s CATI Center. Abt Associates will then mail respondents a $10 incentive for completing the survey.
A preliminary data file will be created in the first few months of data collection and provided, with documentation, to MDRC.

B2.1 Procedures for the Control Services Data Collection

Interviewers. In all SHM sites, the control services survey will be administered by professional interviewers employed by Abt Associates.

Training Site Staff. Abt Associates will train interviewers in how to administer the control services survey and utilize the CATI software. To ensure quality assurance, the FMS selects each and every interviewer’s first interview for re-contact; subsequent selection is at 10-15 percent of every interviewers completed work

Conducting Interviews. Abt Associates’ professional interviewers will handle all survey interviews. All interviews will be conducted by phone from Abt’s CATI Center. Individuals identified as potential sample members will be contacted by the interviewers, first by letter and then by phone. At that time, they will initiate the survey session and answer any questions about the survey that sample members might have. The interviewer will read a script that provides sample members with assurances of confidentiality and discusses their rights as study participants. The interviewer will then administer the brief control services survey.

B3. Maximizing Response Rates

Our goal is to administer the control services survey to all pilot participants in each site. We aim to achieve a response rate of 80 percent. We are confident that the sample achieved with an 80 percent response rate will be adequate for the analyses that we plan to conduct with these data. Given the small sample sizes for each location, the data will not be used to make statistical comparisons but rather to examine trends in receipt of services for each group in each location. This will serve our purposes of understanding whether a high proportion of the control group members in these locations are accessing services that are similar to SHM soon after entering the control group. Procedures for obtaining the maximum degree of cooperation include:

Conveying the purposes of the survey to respondents so they will thoroughly understand the purposes of the data collection and perceive that cooperating is worthwhile;
Sending a letter to respondents prior to contacting them by phone to explain the purpose of the survey;
Providing a toll-free number for respondents to use to ask questions about the survey;
Training interviewers to be encouraging and supportive, and to provide assistance to respondents as needed;
Training interviewers to maintain any pre-existing one-on-one personal rapport with respondent; and
Offering appropriate payments to respondents.

In addition to the above procedures, use of the CATI technology can positively affect response rates by enabling people with limited literacy skills (particularly important given that the low-income married population is disproportionately Latino) to respond to survey questions.

B4. Pre-testing

Many of the questions proposed for this instrument are either identical to questions used in prior MDRC evaluations or are similar, if not identical, to questions used in previous national evaluations. Consequently, many of the items have been thoroughly tested on larger samples.

The proposed SHM control services survey instrument has undergone a number of revisions, following critiques by internal staff and by staff at HHS. Revisions were also made on the basis of a pre-test that assessed the comprehensibility of the draft survey instruments. Survey administrators at Abt Associates analyzed pre-test results and recommended appropriate revisions to the survey instrument.

A total of nine respondents from the Oklahoma City, OK, SHM demonstration completed pretest interviews: four in the program group and five in the control group. Respondents were a mix of men and women, none of whom were part of the same married couple. The pretests provided information about the length of the control service survey. The averages (number of minutes) from the pretest were used in computing estimates of respondent burden, as described in Section A12. Actual pretest averages were close to the targeted (and budgeted) times for instrument administration, and so it was not necessary to delete any questions.

The pretests were also undertaken with the goal of improving the quality of the data the instruments would yield, and thus great care was taken in gleaning information about question wording and the order of questions. Following each pretest, interviewers were debriefed about problems they encountered and about their recommendations for improving the instruments. Based on Abt Associates’ pretest results, a number of revisions were made to the instrument. Some of these revisions concerned the logic of the instrument’s skip patterns, and others involved improving/clarifying (and often simplifying) the wording of questions.

B5. Consultants on Statistical Aspects of the Design

There are no consultants on the statistical aspects of the design. We have drawn on the considerable expertise of the SHM team members including Dr. Charles Michalopoulos, Dr. Virginia Knox, and Dr. JoAnn Hsueh of MDRC.

Attachment A: Control Services Survey Instrument

INTERVIEWER: PLEASE FILL IN THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION THAT WILL BE NEEDED FOR TEXTFILLS AND SKIP PATTERNS DURING THE INTERVIEW.

RAD:

GROUP: PROGRAM

CONTROL

RESPONDENT NAME:

CONSENT:

Hello this is ________________. I’m calling from Abt Associates on behalf of the Supporting Healthy Marriage project. May I please speak to (RESPONDENT NAME)?

We are conducting a study to learn more about the kinds of services that people have received to help them work on their marriages. We want to find out what kinds of services are available in your community and whether people take advantage of them. The purpose of my call is to test a survey we would like to use in this study.

This interview should only take about five to ten minutes of your time. Participation is completely voluntary. Your name will not be connected with any information you give me. What you say will not affect your ability to receive services now or in the future. You may refuse to answer any question. In appreciation for helping us, we will send you a gift of $10 for completing the interview. If you are ready, we can begin.

1. Since [RAD: ________] have you received any services or counseling to help you work on your marriage or your relationship with your spouse? This could include services or counseling you received by yourself or with your spouse. Some people call these services marriage education, marriage therapy, or mentoring. How about those?

₁ YES

₂ NO (SKIP TO Q.21)

₈ DON’T KNOW (SKIP TO Q.21)

₇ REFUSED (SKIP TO Q.21)

2. Were any of these services to help you work on your marriage or your relationship with your spouse provided in classes, workshops or groups?

₁ YES

₂ NO (SKIP TO Q.13A)

₈ DON’T KNOW (SKIP TO Q.13A)

₇ REFUSED (SKIP TO Q.13A)

3A. What was the name of the class, workshop or group?

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

4A. What organization or program provided this class, workshop or group?

PROBE: Where was this class, workshop or group held?

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

5A. Where did you hear about this class, workshop, or group?

[INTERVIEWER: DO NOT READ LIST]

₁ [SHM PROGRAM]

₂OTHER (PLEASE SPECIFY): ________________________________________

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

6A. Were you supposed to attend this class, workshop or group with your spouse?

₁ YES

₂ NO

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

7A. How many times did you attend these classes or workshops since [RAD: ________]? Was it…

₁ Once

₂ Two to five times

₃ Six to 10 times

₄ 11 to 20 times

₅ More than 20 times

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

8A. About how long did you spend at each session?

NUMBER OF HOURS: ___________

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

9A. How often did you attend these classes, workshops or groups with your spouse? Was it…

₁ Always

₂ Sometimes

₃ Seldom

₄ Never

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

10A. Did you attend any other classes, workshops, or groups to help you work on your marriage?

₁ YES

₂ NO (SKIP TO BOX A)

₈ DON’T KNOW (SKIP TO BOX A)

₇ REFUSED (SKIP TO BOX A)

3B. What was the name of the class, workshop or group?

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

4B. What organization or program provided this class, workshop or group?

PROBE: Where was this class, workshop or group held?

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

5B. Where did you hear about this class, workshop, or group?

[INTERVIEWER: DO NOT READ LIST]

₁ [SHM PROGRAM]

₂OTHER (PLEASE SPECIFY): ________________________________________

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

6B. Were you supposed to attend this class, workshop or group with your spouse?

₁ YES

₂ NO

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

7B. How many times did you attend these classes or workshops since [RAD: ________]? Was it…

₁ Once

₂ Two to five times

₃ Six to 10 times

₄ 11 to 20 times

₅ More than 20 times

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

8B. About how long did you spend at each session?

NUMBER OF HOURS: ___________

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

9B. How often did you attend these classes, workshops or groups with your spouse? Was it…

₁ Always

₂ Sometimes

₃ Seldom

₄ Never

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

10B. Did you attend any other classes, workshops, or groups to help you work on your marriage?

₁ YES

₂ NO (SKIP TO BOX A)

₈ DON’T KNOW (SKIP TO BOX A)

₇ REFUSED (SKIP TO BOX A)

3C. What was the name of the class, workshop or group?

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

4C. What organization or program provided this class, workshop or group?

PROBE: Where was this class, workshop or group held?

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

5C. Where did you hear about this class, workshop, or group?

[INTERVIEWER: DO NOT READ LIST]

₁ [SHM PROGRAM]

₂OTHER (PLEASE SPECIFY): ________________________________________

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

6C. Were you supposed to attend this class, workshop or group with your spouse?

₁ YES

₂ NO

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

7C. How many times did you attend these classes or workshops since [RAD: ________]? Was it…

₁ Once

₂ Two to five times

₃ Six to 10 times

₄ 11 to 20 times

₅ More than 20 times

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

8C. About how long did you spend at each session?

NUMBER OF HOURS: ___________

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

9C. How often did you attend these classes, workshops or groups with your spouse? Was it…

₁ Always

₂ Sometimes

₃ Seldom

₄ Never

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

10C. Did you attend any other classes, workshops, or groups to help you work on your marriage?

₁ YES

₂ NO (SKIP TO BOX A)

₈ DON’T KNOW (SKIP TO BOX A)

₇ REFUSED (SKIP TO BOX A)

3D. What was the name of the class, workshop or group?

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

4D. What organization or program provided this class, workshop or group?

PROBE: Where was this class, workshop or group held?

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

5D. Where did you hear about this class, workshop, or group?

[INTERVIEWER: DO NOT READ LIST]

₁ [SHM PROGRAM]

₂OTHER (PLEASE SPECIFY): ________________________________________

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

6D. Were you supposed to attend this class, workshop or group with your spouse?

₁ YES

₂ NO

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

7D. How many times did you attend these classes or workshops since [RAD: ________]? Was it…

₁ Once

₂ Two to five times

₃ Six to 10 times

₄ 11 to 20 times

₅ More than 20 times

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

8D. About how long did you spend at each session?

NUMBER OF HOURS: ___________

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

9D. How often did you attend these classes, workshops or groups with your spouse? Was it…

₁ Always

₂ Sometimes

₃ Seldom

₄ Never

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

10E. Did you attend any other classes, workshops, or groups to help you work on your marriage?

₁ YES (RECORD ON SEPARATE SHEET OF PAPER)

₂ NO

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

BOX A

IF RESPONDENT IS IN PROGRAM GROUP, GO TO Q.11.

IF RESPONDENT IS IN CONTROL GROUP, GO TO Q.13A.

11. About how many of the marriage education workshops at [SHM PROGRAM] that you were assigned to did you actually attend? Was it …

₁ None of them

₂ Some of them

₃ Most of them (SKIP TO Q.13A)

₄ All of them (SKIP TO Q.13A)

₈ DON’T KNOW (SKIP TO Q.13A)

₇ REFUSED (SKIP TO Q.13A)

12. What are the reasons that you didn’t attend? Of the following, was it …

₁ A problem with your health

₂ Trouble finding child care

₃ Trouble finding transportation

₄ A family issue

₅ A problem with your housing

₆ A conflict with your job

₇ A conflict with your school or training program

₈ Religious observance

₉ Your spouse didn't want to attend

₁₀ You didn’t like the program or didn’t feel comfortable attending

₁₁ You were having too much trouble with your marriage

₉₈ DON’T KNOW

₉₇ REFUSED

13A. The next question is about services that are provided one-on-one with just you and a counselor, without your spouse. Some people call these kinds of services marital therapy or counseling. Since [RAD: ________], did you receive this type of service to help you work on your marriage or your relationship?

₁ YES

₂ NO (SKIP TO Q.17A)

₈ DON’T KNOW (SKIP TO Q.17A)

₇ REFUSED (SKIP TO Q.17A)

14A. What organization or program provided these services?

__________________________________________________

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

15A. Where did you hear about these services? [INTERVIEWER: DO NOT OFFER [SHM PROGRAM] OR OTHER AS OPTIONS. ASK THIS AS AN OPEN-ENDED QUESTION AND CHECK OFF WHATEVER THE ANSWER IS.]

₁ [SHM PROGRAM]

₂Other: __________________________________________

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

16A. About how many times since [RAD: ________] did you receive these one-on-one services to help you work on your marriage or your relationship? Was it …

₁ Once

₂ Two to five times

₃ Six to 10 times

₄ 11 to 20 times

₅ More than 20 times

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

13B. What about other services that are provided one-one-one with just you and a counselor, without your spouse? Since [RAD: ________], did you receive any other one-on-one services without your spouse to help you work on your marriage or your relationship?

PROBE: Some people call these kinds of services marital therapy or counseling. Did you receive any services like that without your spouse?

₁ YES

₂ NO (SKIP TO Q.17A)

₈ DON’T KNOW (SKIP TO Q.17A)

₇ REFUSED (SKIP TO Q.17A)

14B. What organization or program provided these services?

__________________________________________________

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

15B. Where did you hear about these services? [INTERVIEWER: DO NOT OFFER [SHM PROGRAM] OR OTHER AS OPTIONS. ASK THIS AS AN OPEN-ENDED QUESTION AND CHECK OFF WHATEVER THE ANSWER IS.]

₁ [SHM PROGRAM]

₂Other: __________________________________________

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

16B. About how many times since [RAD: ________] did you receive these one-on-one services to help you work on your marriage or your relationship? Was it …

₁ Once

₂ Two to five times

₃ Six to 10 times

₄ 11 to 20 times

₅ More than 20 times

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

13C. What about other services that are provided one-one-one with just you and a counselor, without your spouse? Since [RAD: ________], did you receive any other one-on-one services without your spouse to help you work on your marriage or your relationship?

PROBE: Some people call these kinds of services marital therapy or counseling. Did you receive any services like that without your spouse?

₁ YES

₂ NO (SKIP TO Q.17A)

₈ DON’T KNOW (SKIP TO Q.17A)

₇ REFUSED (SKIP TO Q.17A)

14C. What organization or program provided these services?

__________________________________________________

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

15C. Where did you hear about these services? [INTERVIEWER: DO NOT OFFER [SHM PROGRAM] OR OTHER AS OPTIONS. ASK THIS AS AN OPEN-ENDED QUESTION AND CHECK OFF WHATEVER THE ANSWER IS.]

₁ [SHM PROGRAM]

₂Other: __________________________________________

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

16C. About how many times since [RAD: ________] did you receive these one-on-one services to help you work on your marriage or your relationship? Was it …

₁ Once

₂ Two to five times

₃ Six to 10 times

₄ 11 to 20 times

₅ More than 20 times

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

13D. What about other services that are provided one-one-one with just you and a counselor, without your spouse? Since [RAD: ________], did you receive any other one-on-one services without your spouse to help you work on your marriage or your relationship?

PROBE: Some people call these kinds of services marital therapy or counseling. Did you receive any services like that without your spouse?

₁ YES (RECORD ON SEPARATE SHEET OF PAPER)

₂ NO

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

17A. The next question is about services that are provided one-on-one by a counselor with just you and your spouse. Since [RAD: ________], did you receive this type of service to help you work on your marriage or your relationship?

PROBE: Some people call these kinds of services marital therapy or counseling. Did you receive any services like that with your spouse?

₁ YES

₂ NO (SKIP TO Q.21)

₈ DON’T KNOW (SKIP TO Q.21)

₇ REFUSED (SKIP TO Q.21)

18A. What organization or program provided these services?

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

19A. Where did you hear about these services?

[INTERVIEWER: DO NOT READ LIST]

₁ [SHM PROGRAM]

₂OTHER, PLEASE SPECIFY:_________________________________________

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

20A. About how many times since [RAD: ________] did you and your spouse receive these one-on-one services to help you work on your marriage or your relationship? Was it…

₁ Once

₂ Two to five times

₃ Six to 10 times

₄ 11 to 20 times

₅ More than 20 times

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

17B. What about other services that are provided one-one-one by a counselor with just you and your spouse? Since [RAD: ________], did you receive any other one-on-one services with your spouse to help you work on your marriage or your relationship?

PROBE: Some people call these kinds of services marital therapy or counseling. Did you receive any services like that with your spouse?

₁ YES

₂ NO (SKIP TO Q.21)

₈ DON’T KNOW (SKIP TO Q.21)

₇ REFUSED (SKIP TO Q.21)

18B. What organization or program provided these services?

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

19B. Where did you hear about these services?

[INTERVIEWER: DO NOT READ LIST]

₁ [SHM PROGRAM]

₂OTHER, PLEASE SPECIFY:_________________________________________

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

20B. About how many times since [RAD: ________] did you and your spouse receive these one-on-one services to help you work on your marriage or your relationship? Was it…

₁ Once

₂ Two to five times

₃ Six to 10 times

₄ 11 to 20 times

₅ More than 20 times

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

17C. What about other services that are provided one-one-one by a counselor with just you and your spouse? Since [RAD: ________], did you receive any other one-on-one services with your spouse to help you work on your marriage or your relationship?

PROBE: Some people call these kinds of services marital therapy or counseling. Did you receive any services like that with your spouse?

₁ YES

₂ NO (SKIP TO Q.21)

₈ DON’T KNOW (SKIP TO Q.21)

₇ REFUSED (SKIP TO Q.21)

18C. What organization or program provided these services?

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

19C. Where did you hear about these services?

[INTERVIEWER: DO NOT READ LIST]

₁ [SHM PROGRAM]

₂OTHER, PLEASE SPECIFY:_________________________________________

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

20C. About how many times since [RAD: ________] did you and your spouse receive these one-on-one services to help you work on your marriage or your relationship? Was it…

₁ Once

₂ Two to five times

₃ Six to 10 times

₄ 11 to 20 times

₅ More than 20 times

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

17D. What about other services that are provided one-one-one by a counselor with just you and your spouse? Since [RAD: ________], did you receive any other one-on-one services with your spouse to help you work on your marriage or your relationship?

PROBE: Some people call these kinds of services marital therapy or counseling. Did you receive any services like that with your spouse?

₁ YES (RECORD ON A SEPARATE SHEET OF PAPER)

₂ NO

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

21. Since [RAD: ________], did you participate in any of these kinds of programs:

₁ Parenting programs (Example: Parents As Teachers, Family Expectations)

₂ Early Head Start

₃ Home visiting programs (Example: Healthy Families, Nurse Family Partnership)

₄ None (SKIP TO Q.25)

₈ DON’T KNOW (SKIP TO Q.25)

₇ REFUSED (SKIP TO Q.25)

INTERVIEWER: QUESTIONS 22 THROUGH 24 SHOULD BE ASKED ABOUT EACH PROGRAM IN WHICH THE RESPONDENT INDICATED HE/SHE PARTICIPATED IN QUESTION 21.

22A. Was your spouse supposed to attend [PROGRAM IN Q.21: ] with you?

₁ YES

₂ NO

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

23A. How often did you attend [PROGRAM IN Q.21: ] with your spouse? Was it…

₁ Always

₂ Sometimes

₃ Seldom

₄ Never

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

24A. About how many times did you attend [PROGRAM IN Q.21: ] since [RAD: ________]? Was it …

₁ Once

₂ Two to five times

₃ Six to 10 times

₄ 11 to 20 times

₅ More than 20 times

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

22B. Was your spouse supposed to attend [PROGRAM IN Q.21: ] with you?

₁ YES

₂ NO

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

23B. How often did you attend [PROGRAM IN Q.21: ] with your spouse? Was it…

₁ Always

₂ Sometimes

₃ Seldom

₄ Never

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

24B. About how many times did you attend [PROGRAM IN Q.21: ] since [RAD: ________]? Was it …

₁ Once

₂ Two to five times

₃ Six to 10 times

₄ 11 to 20 times

₅ More than 20 times

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

22C. Was your spouse supposed to attend [PROGRAM IN Q.21: ] with you?

₁ YES

₂ NO

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

23C. How often did you attend [PROGRAM IN Q.21: ] with your spouse? Was it…

₁ Always

₂ Sometimes

₃ Seldom

₄ Never

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

24C. About how many times did you attend [PROGRAM IN Q.21: ] since [RAD: ________]? Was it …

₁ Once

₂ Two to five times

₃ Six to 10 times

₄ 11 to 20 times

₅ More than 20 times

₈ DON’T KNOW

₇ REFUSED

25. Since [RAD: ________], have you received any other services from [SHM SERVICE PROVIDER]? These services include help getting a job or job training, adult education or GED classes, mental health services, drug or alcohol abuse treatment, help finding or paying for child care, help finding or paying for housing, and help paying for utilities or bills.

₁ YES

₂ NO (SKIP TO Q.27)

₈ DON’T KNOW (SKIP TO Q.27)

₇ REFUSED (SKIP TO Q.27)

26. What services did you receive from [SHM SERVICE PROVIDER]?

(INTERVIEWER: CHECK ALL THAT APPLY)

₁ HELP GETTING A JOB OR JOB TRAINING

₂ ADULT EDUCATION OR GED CLASSES

₃ MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

₄ DRUG OR ALCOHOL ABUSE TREATMENT

₅ HELP FINDING OR PAYING FOR CHILD CARE

₆ HELP FINDING OR PAYING FOR HOUSING

₇ HELP PAYING FOR UTILITIES OR BILLS

₉₈ DON’T KNOW

₉₇ REFUSED

27. We would like to update your contact information in our records so that we can contact you for future surveys.

27a. Are you still living at [ADDRESS]?

₁ YES (SKIP TO Q.27c)

₂ NO

₈ DON’T KNOW (SKIP TO Q.27c)

₇ REFUSED (SKIP TO Q.27c)

27b. What is your address?

STREET:

CITY, STATE, ZIP:

27c. Is the best phone number to reach you still [PHONE NUMBER]?

₁ YES (SKIP TO CLOSING)

₂ NO

₈ DON’T KNOW (SKIP TO CLOSING)

₇ REFUSED (SKIP TO CLOSING)

27d. What is the best phone number to reach you?

PHONE NUMBER:

CLOSING

These are all the questions I have. We will mail your $10 gift in the next week in appreciation for your time. If you have any questions about this study, please call [NAME] at [PHONE NUMBER].

Thank you.

Attachment B: Federal Register Notices

[Federal Register: April 30, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 82)]

[Notices]

[Page 21266]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr30ap07-73]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Proposed projects:

Title: Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM) Project: Control Services

Survey.

OMB No.: New Collection.

Description: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF),

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is conducting a

demonstration and evaluation called the Supporting Healthy Marriage

(SHM) Project. Supporting Healthy Marriage is designed to inform

program operators and policymakers of the most effective ways to help

low-income married couples strengthen and maintain healthy marriages.

In particular, the project will measure the effectiveness of marriage

education programs by randomly assigning eligible volunteer couples to

SHM program groups and control groups.

In order to conduct a strong test of the SHM program, the

researchers must understand whether marriage education services similar

to SHM are readily accessible to control group members elsewhere in the

communities where SHM is offered. To measure the difference between

services received by the program group and control group, the evaluator

will administer a brief survey to participants in each SHM

demonstration pilot site. The purpose of this survey is to identify the

kinds of services that participants have received over the last six

months, either from the SHM program or from other agencies in the

community. This survey will allow the research team to determine

whether there is a sufficient differential between the services

received by the participants in the program group and those in the

control group to constitute a strong test of the SHM intervention.

Respondents: Low-income married couples with children.

Annual Burden Estimates

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of Average burden

Instrument Number of responses per hours per Total burden

respondents respondent response hours

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SHM Control Services Survey................. 808 1 .17 137.4

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 137.4.

In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Administration for Children and

Families is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the

information collection described above. Copies of the proposed

collection of information can be obtained and comments may be forwarded

by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of

Administration, Office of Information Services, 370 L'Enfant Promenade,

SW., Washington, DC 20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer. E-mail

address: [email protected]. All requests should be identified

by the title of the information collection.

The Department specifically requests comments on (a) whether the

proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper

performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the

information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the

agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of

information; (c) the quality, utility, and clarity of the information

to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection

of information on respondents, including through the use of automated

collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Consideration will be given to comments and suggestions submitted

within 60 days of this publication.

Dated: April 23, 2007.

Robert Sargis,

Reports Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 07-2090 Filed 4-27-07; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4184-01-M

[Federal Register: July 10, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 131)]

[Notices]

[Page 37534-37535]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr10jy07-70]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Title: Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM) Project: Control Services

Survey.

OMB No.: New collection.

Description: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF),

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is conducting a

demonstration and evaluation called the Supporting Healthy Marriage

(SHM) Project. Supporting Healthy Marriage is designed to inform

program operators and policymakers of the most effective ways to help

low-income married couples strengthen and maintain healthy marriages.

In particular, the project will measure the effectiveness of marriage

education programs by randomly assigning eligible volunteer couples to

SHM program groups and control groups.

In order to conduct a strong test of the SHM program, the

researchers must understand whether marriage education services similar

to SHM are readily accessible to control group members elsewhere in the

communities where SHM is offered. To measure the difference between

services received by the program group and control group, the evaluator

will administer a brief survey to participants in each SHM

demonstration pilot site. The purpose of this survey is to identify the

kinds of services that participants have received

[[Page 37535]]

over the last six months, either from the SHM program or from other

agencies in the community. This survey will allow the research team to

determine whether there is a sufficient differential between the

services received by the participants in the program group and those in

the control group to constitute a strong test of the SHM intervention.

Respondents: Low-income married couples with children.

Annual Burden Estimates

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of Average burden

Instrument Number of responses per hours per Total burden

respondents respondent response hours

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SHM Control Services Survey............. 808 1 .17 hrs 137.4

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Estimated Total Annual Burden ................ ................ ................ 137.4

Hours:.........................

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Additional Information: Copies of the proposed collection may be

obtained by writing to the Administration for Children and Families,

Office of Administration, Office of Information Services, 370 L'Enfant

Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance

Officer. All requests should be identified by the title of the

information collection. E-mail address: infocollection@acf.hhs.gov.

OMB Comment: OMB is required to make a decision concerning the

collection of information between 30 and 60 days after publication of

this document in the Federal Register. Therefore, a comment is best

assured of having its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of

publication. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed

information collection should be sent directly to the following: Office

of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project, Fax: 202-395-

6974, Attn: Desk Officer for the Administration for Children and

Families.

Dated: July 5, 2007.

Brendan C. Kelly,

OPRE Reports Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 07-3337 Filed 7-9-07; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4184-01-M

Attachment C: Letter to Potential Survey Respondents

Date

«Name»

«Address_1», «Address_2»

«City», «State» «ZIP»

Dear Name:

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is sponsoring a study called the “Supporting Healthy Marriage“, or SHM. Abt, an independent research firm located in XX, will be conducting a survey to gather information for this important study. The information we collect will be used to help determine what kinds of marriage education services work best to help couples with children.

As you may recall, when you agreed to participate, you were told that you might be contacted by researchers. We would like to ask about your recent experiences with any marriage education or parenting programs you may have been involved in. Your participation in the survey is voluntary; you may refuse to answer any question. All of your answers will be kept private to the extent allowed by law. Your name will never appear in any public reports, and any information you provide will be treated as confidential and will not be connected with your name. All study staff are trained to protect your privacy and must sign a privacy pledge.

To complete the survey, you may call the study’s toll free number (1-800-xxx-xxxx) right now. Otherwise, one of our interviewers will contact you by phone in the next few weeks. The interview should take about 5 to 10 minutes of your time and as a token of appreciation, you will receive a $10 monetary gift when the interview is completed. If you have any questions or concerns about this study, please call XXX at 1-800-xxx-xxxx, (weekdays between x AM and x PM, Eastern Time). Thank you for your help on this important project.

Sincerely,

RESID

Attachment D: Informed Consent Agreement for SHM baseline collection

OMB Control Number: 0970-0299

Expiration Date: 5/31/2009

Research ID: ________________

Agreement to take part in the Supporting Healthy Marriage Study

You are invited to take part in an important project called Supporting Healthy Marriage. This project will study programs to help couples learn how to get along with each other. The programs will also help couples be better parents. They will also help couples get services to improve their employment or health. A research company called MDRC is doing the study. The federal government is paying for the study.

This study is testing ways to help married couples get along.

This study will offer a new program [Local Program] to married couples. [Local program] will not have room for all couples who want to take part. Some couples will get to be part of [Local Program] but some couples will not. We will pick the couples who will get to be part of the [Local program] randomly, like flipping a coin. If we do not pick you, you can still get other services on your own.

If you agree to be in the study, researchers will collect information about you and your children.

Taking part in the study is your choice. You may stop being in the study at any time. If you stop being in the study, we will use any information that we have collected before then.

Your Answers Will Be Kept Private

Consent to Take Part in the Supporting Healthy Marriage Study

I understand that:

[Local Program] will not have room for all couples. A random selection process will decide if I can get [Local Program] services.
If I cannot get [Local Program] services, I will still be part of the study. I can still get other program services in our community.
I will be contacted by the study team later for an interview. Some of the questions will be about personal things and my feelings. I can refuse to answer any question.
The study team might use my name or Social Security number to collect data from government agencies.
All information will be kept confidential, except as required by law or if I request otherwise in writing. However, if a person on the study team or in the program feels that keeping information confidential would result in danger to me or another person, they will have to tell appropriate agencies to protect me or the other person.

I agree to:

Allow a random selection process to decide if I can get [Local Program] services.
Answer some questions now and give the study team information about how to reach me for an interview later.
Let the study team collect information on [Local Program] services that I receive.
Let state and local agencies give information about me to the study team.
Let the study team collect information about my children from me and from sources like state and local agencies.
Allow schools to release my children’s test scores.

I can call [NAME OF PERSON] toll-free at [TELEPHONE NUMBER] at MDRC to ask any questions I may have or to ask about not being part of the study anymore.

Participant

_____________________________

Name of Participant (Printed)

_____________________________ ____________________

Signature of Participant Date

_____________________________

Name of Person Administering this Form (Printed)

_____________________________ ____________________

Signature of Person Administering this Form Date

Consent for children under age 18 who live with you at least half the time

_____________________________

A. Study Participant’s Child’s Name (Printed)

___________________________________ ________________________

Signature of Child’s Legal Parent or Guardian Date

_____________________________

B. Study Participant’s Child’s Name (Printed)

___________________________________ ________________________

Signature of Child’s Legal Parent or Guardian Date

_____________________________

C. Study Participant’s Child’s Name (Printed)

___________________________________ ________________________

Signature of Child’s Legal Parent or Guardian Date

_____________________________

D. Study Participant’s Child’s Name (Printed)

___________________________________ ________________________

Signature of Child’s Legal Parent or Guardian Date

_____________________________

E. Study Participant’s Child’s Name (Printed)

___________________________________ ________________________

Signature of Child’s Legal Parent or Guardian Date

_____________________________

F. Study Participant’s Child’s Name (Printed)

___________________________________ ________________________

Signature of Child’s Legal Parent or Guardian Date

_____________________________

G. Study Participant’s Child’s Name (Printed)

___________________________________ ________________________

Signature of Child’s Legal Parent or Guardian Date

1 The Building Strong Families (BSF) project is another multi-site random assignment evaluation funded by the Administration for Children and Families in 2002 as part of the Healthy Marriage Initiative. BSF is an initiative to develop and evaluate programs designed to help interested unwed parents achieve their aspirations for healthy marriage and a stable family life.

2 MDRC is the lead evaluative organization conducting the SHM project. It is joined by a team of subcontractors including Abt Associates, Child Trends, Optimal Solutions Group, and McFarland Associates.

File Type	application/msword
Author	MDRCER
Last Modified By	USER
File Modified	2007-08-29
File Created	2007-08-29

SHM Control Group Survey Complete Package Submission

SHM Control Services OMB Supporting Statement and Instrument-Final 08 23 07.doc

Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM) Project: Control Services Survey