B - Summary of changes

Attachment B: Changes made to NSCNC Questionnaire Content

Table 1: Deleted Questions

Question/Description	Reason for Deletion
L8 How often SC contacts nonresident siblings	Combined with L7 into new question L7
P2 SC’s mom’s ethnicity	Redundant with child’s & caregiver’s ethnicity & race
P3 SC’s mom’s race
P10 SC contact w/mom	Combined with P9 into new question P9
P12 SC mom ever care for SC overnight	Combined with P11 into new question P11
P13 How well R gets along w/SC mom	Combined with P31 into new question P36
P16 R ever ask SC mom to spend more time	Low priority; somewhat redundant with P36
P17 R ever refused SC mom visit
P19 SC’s dad’s ethnicity	Redundant with child’s & caregiver’s ethnicity & race
P20 SC’s dad’s race
P28 SC contact w/dad	Combined with P27 into new question P27
P30 SC dad ever care for SC overnight	Combined with P29 into new question P29
P31 How well R gets along w/SC dad	Combined with P13 into new question P36
P34 R ever ask SC dad to spend more time	Low priority; somewhat redundant with P36
P35 R ever refused SC dad visit
F2 Child support agreement w/mom or w/dad	Low priority; redundant with F5
F8 How heard about TANF	Limited utility due to legitimate skip; low priority
C2I Ease obtain educ re: child special needs	Respondent confusion
C2J Ease obtain educ re: legal issues	Respondent confusion; redundant with C2D
C2M Ease obtain info re: medical care	Respondent confusion
C2N Ease obtain overview of programs/svcs	Respondent confusion
C3 Where learn about svcs	Difficult/lengthy to process; respondent confusion
C4 How much R knew re: child background	Redundant with C1
CC2A Supervision: where child is	Low priority
CC2B Supervision: who child is with
CC2C Supervision: child arrives at home
CC2D Supervision: child finished homework
CC2E Supervision: control child’s free time
CC2F Supervision: child’s money
CC2G Supervision: child does chores
CC2H Supervision: child without sitter
WB1 How SC feels re: living w/R	Respondent confusion; limited variability; validity concern
WB5 Type of school	Limited variability; redundant with NSCH data
WB8E Child care: sitter related to R	Limited analytic utility due to legitimate skip; low priority
WB8F Child care: sitter related to spouse
WB8G Child care: sitter lives w/R
WB8I Child care: other sitter related to SC
WB8J Child care: other sitter related to R/Sp

Continued next page

Table 1 continued

Question/Description	Reason for Deletion
R7 How it’s going caring for SC	Respondent confusion; low priority
R8A Getting help: someone to watch SC	Low priority; nearly 50% missing on item A and limited variability on item B
R8B Get help: a ride to the doctor
R8C Get help: family/friends check on sick SC
R8D Get help: someone to talk w/re: problems
R8E Get help: family/friends lend cash
R9 R feels trapped by parenting responsibility	These items offended some respondents; validity concern
R10 Caring for SC more work than pleasure
R12 R self-rating caregiver quality	Validity concern; low variability: 0 negative responses
R13A Depression scale: So sad	We replaced this 6-item validated scale of depression with a 2-item validated scale of depression (R13NEWA and R13NEWB)
R13B Depression scale: nervous
R13C Depression scale: restless/fidgety
R13D Depression scale: hopeless
R13E Depression scale: everything an effort
R13F Depression scale: worthless
R14B Confident can help SC grow	We retained some of the R14 positive well-being measures and deleted others; B showed low response variability, and C, E, and G were cognitively difficult for some respondents; D and H were of lower priority than the R14 items we kept.
R14C Know steps when receiving poor svcs
R14D Family life is under control
R14E Tell pros my thoughts re: svcs
R14G I try to find needed svcs
R14H Focus on good as well as problems
S5_STATE Confirm state to fill insurance program name	Redundant with State previously confirmed in NSCH
S16 Paying lower rent due to subsidy	Limited response variability
D6 Respondent’s Spouse/partner’s ethnicity	Redundant with Respondent’s ethnicity
D7 Respondent’s Spouse/partner’s race	Redundant with Respondent’s race
D8 SC transracial w/Respondent’s spouse/p	Redundant with D5
R21A Most challenging re: care for SC	Limited analytic utility and time-consuming to collect due to verbatim response for all cases
R21B Most rewarding re: care for SC

In addition to these deletions, combinations and replacements shown in Table 1, a number of minor content changes were made to improve questionnaire flow or reduce respondent or interviewer confusion. Those content changes are listed below.

1. H9 (Respondent relationship to the child) is now asked about both the respondent (H9.1) and the respondent’s spouse/partner (H9.2); additionally, the category ADOPTIVE PARENT has been added, with the restriction that if this option is chosen, the interviewer should probe for an additional, pre-adoptive relationship and mark all that apply. Additionally, for H9.1 and H9.2, categories “MATERNAL AUNT/UNCLE” and “PATERNAL AUNT/UNCLE” have been combined into “AUNT/UNCLE” and category “GREAT-GRANDPARENT” has been added.

2. P1 (and similar question for fathers, P18): the definitions of mother and father have been moved from question text to READ IF NECESSARY help text.

3. P6/P24: To avoid seeming to ask the same question twice, the question text here has been revised to WAS THERE A DIFFERENT REASON WHY [SC] DIDN’T LIVE WITH [HIS/HER] [MOTHER/FATHER] ORIGINALLY? Yes responses will get the original P6 or P24 question, while others will skip over P6/P24.

4. P22: Verb tense was changed from “has” to “had” in three places for cases in which the father is deceased, to reduce the risk of sounding insensitive.

5. F1: “FROM [SC]’s PARENT OR PARENTS” has been added to the end of the first sentence in this question, and the second sentence (and response option list) has been re-ordered to improve question flow and comprehension as: HAVE CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENTS FOR [SC] BEEN AGREED TO INFORMALLY, AGREED TO IN WRITING, AWARDED TO YOU BY A COURT OR JUDGE, OR DO YOU NOT HAVE AN AGREEMENT OF ANY KIND?

6. F4 has had SOCIAL SECURITY SURVIVOR BENEFITS, ADOPTION ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS added to the question text.

7. F5: response option 3 has been updated to FOSTER CARE OR ADOPTION PAYMENT/STIPEND

8. F10, F11 and F12 are being moved to just after F5 to improve questionnaire flow.

9. C2F: OBTAIN has been changed to FIND, PARENT/GRANDPARENT SUPPORT GROUP has been changed to A PARENT OR GRANDPARENT SUPPORT GROUP, and help text has been added: A GROUP OF GRANDPARENTS WHO MEET TOGETHER TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES AND ADVICE ABOUT RAISING THEIR GRANDCHILDREN.

10. S1 and S2 are moved to just before S9 in order to ask about child’s insurance first, then caregiver’s insurance. The transition text that begins S1 is now used to begin S3. Also, help text has been added to S2: IT CAN BE YOU OR YOUR SPOUSE’S INSURANCE, and interviewers are instructed to MARK ALL THAT APPLY.

11. S18_CONF: YOUR INCOME changed to THE TOTAL INCOME OF ALL FAMILY MEMBERS.

Page 9 of 9