State, Local and/or Tribal Agencies

OMB Control#: 0584-0548

Expiration Date: 01/31/2015

United States

Department of

Agriculture

Food and

Nutrition

Service

3101 Park

Center Drive

Alexandria, VA

22302-1500

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Dear «Contact»:

As you may recall, The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is conducting a national study of the Loving Support Peer Counseling program; Abt Associates is conducting this study for FNS. Your agency took part in Phase 1 of this study by completing an online survey in 2008, and the results of that survey, along with other findings, were reported in June, 2010. The purpose of this letter is to ask for your help again. Specifically, we are asking you and other relevant staff working on Loving Support peer counseling at the State level to participate in a second round of this web-based survey.

Since the first survey about the implementation of Loving Support at the State level, approximately six years have elapsed and funding for the Loving Support Peer Counseling program increased from approximately $15 million to approximately $60 million. This second round of the survey will help FNS understand how State agencies have used these additional funds and what changes State agencies may have made in the policy guidance, training procedures, and monitoring they provide to local agencies with Loving Support Peer Counseling programs.

The survey will again be web-based and will ask State Agencies about how Loving Support peer counseling is being implemented. Specifically, it includes questions about State agency staff that work on Loving Support peer counseling, training, support, and policy guidance that the State agency provides to local agencies, and what types of data the State agencies collect from local Agencies about their Loving Support Peer Counseling programs. In response to feedback received during the first round of the survey, we have shortened the length of the survey overall and clarified questions that proved confusing. The survey takes about 120 minutes to complete. Multiple respondents at your agency can access the survey, allowing the most suitable agency member to respond to certain questions, and respondents can save their responses and return at a later time to the survey, allowing the survey to be completed as time allows. Privacy will be protected to the “extent provided by law.” Please note that this study is not part of an audit or management review of WIC operations, but that FNS may identify your State agency by name in any reports based on this survey. A decision to participate will not affect your agency or your employment status.

Study staff from Abt Associates will be contacting you in the next few days by e-mail (or phone if they have trouble reaching you by e-mail) to provide you with your unique password to access the survey and offer any technical assistance you may need to complete the survey.

In the meantime, please contact me at 703-305-2732 or by email at [email protected] or the Project Director at Abt Associates, Carter Epstein, if you have any questions about the survey. She may be reached toll-free at 1-855-311-2461 or [email protected].

Your timely participation in this study effort is very much appreciated and is critical to the success of the study and to the Peer Counseling program. The surveys need to be completed by <<INSERT DATE>>. Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

Karen Castellanos-Brown

Social Science Research Analyst

Office of Policy Support, Special Nutrition Research and Analysis Division

USDA, Food and Nutrition Service

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-0548. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 120 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER