Attachment 4 Round 3 Advance Letter for Minors REV 2-2-12

OMB Control#: 0584-0561

Expiration Date: 8/31/2014

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average (1 minute) per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services, Office of Research and Analysis, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302 ATTN: PRA (0584-0561). Do not return the completed form to this address.

ADVANCE LETTER FOR PARTICIPANT SURVEY Round 3

TO PARENTS OF MINORS

<< Date>>

<<{Parent of Minor Selected Respondent} Name >>

<<Address>>

<<City, State Zip>>

Dear <<Honorific>> <<Last Name of {Parent}>>

In the fall of 2011 we interviewed you and your son John for the “What Hampden County Eats” study. This is a survey of participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Now is the time for the final set of interviews for this study!

During this last interview you (or the main shopper in your household if that is not you) will be asked questions about your family, how you shop for food, how you decide what to buy, and about food in your home. John will be asked questions about his diet. Your/the main shopper interview will take about 10 minutes. The interview for John will take about 40 minutes. You (or the main shopper) and John will each receive $40 as an incentive for participating in the survey. If you use your cell phone to talk to us, we will provide you with an additional $10 in appreciation of your using your cell phone minutes to complete the survey.

Taking part in the survey is up to you. Deciding not to be in the study won’t affect your SNAP benefits. If you do not want to be interviewed, you can tell the interviewer who calls you.

There isn’t much risk from being in the study except that someone could find out you were in the study. We’ll be careful to protect your information and make sure this does not happen.

Only some people from USDA and the research team will see your answers. Your name will be kept separate from your answers. Your answers will be put together with answers from the other people in the study and reported as totals and averages. No one’s name will be used. Everyone on the research team has signed a confidentiality form to protect your information, and it will not be shared with anyone outside the researchers for this study, except as otherwise required by law.

Someone from Westat will call you in the next week or so. Our caller ID will show up on your phone as “FOOD SURVEY.” In this packet are some materials for John to use during the interview. If you and/or John would like to complete or schedule your interview now, please call Westat at our toll-free telephone number 888-262-4896.

Thank you again for your help on this important study.

Sincerely,

Susie McNutt Stephanie Brown

Westat Project Director Assistant Commissioner for Policy,

Program and External Relations

MA Department of Transitional Assistance