Appendix A-2 Notification of State Selection for Site Visit

APPENDIX A-2

NOTIFICATION OF STATE SELECTION FOR SITE VISIT

LOGISTICS/SITE VISIT PLANNING

E-MAIL TO STATE TANF DIRECTORS

From: Heather Hahn

To: [STATE TANF DIRECTOR]

Cc:

Subject: Urban Institute Study of Two-Parent TANF Programs

Dear [Ms./Mr.] [NAME],

As you may recall, our Urban Institute study contacted you in [month] about our study of two-parent participation in TANF programs and you expressed your willingness to participate in the study, including a site visit to your state, if your state were selected. I am writing today to let you know that your state indeed was selected, to confirm your continued willingness to participate, and to again remind that your state’s inclusion is voluntary.

This e-mail provides an overview of our study and identifies the topics we would like to discuss during the site visit. One of our research assistants [NAME; E-MAIL ADDRESS; PHONE] will work with you (or your designee) on the logistics of the visit. We would like to visit [STATE] during [month].

The Study

The goal of the study, conducted by the Urban Institute under contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is to provide information on the characteristics of two-parent families on or eligible for TANF. Specifically, we are seeking to provide a systematic understanding of the characteristics of two-parent families participating in or eligible to receive TANF, the variety of services two-parent families receive through TANF, how state policies may help or hinder participation in TANF among two-parent families, and how the beliefs of staff and eligible families help or hinder two-parent families’ participation in TANF.

As part of our study, we will be visiting five states in which we will meet with key state and local staff, community-based organization representatives, and recipients or potential TANF recipients in two-parent families. We also will be conducting phone interviews with TANF directors in five additional states. Our study will culminate with a report to HHS in March 2016, and we expect that report to later be publicly available.

If you wish to contact HHS directly about the study, you may contact our project officer Aleta Meyer, at 202-401-5262 or [email protected].

The Site Visit

Our general plan is to conduct a 2-day site visit to your state. In advance of the in-person visit, we would like to conduct a 90-minute phone interview with you to obtain background information that will help us tailor the in-person interviews. Conducting our interview with you by phone in advance of the site visit also would allow us to visit a locality that may be distant from your state capital. The site visit would include the interviews and focus groups listed below.

Site Visit Interviews:

• Local TANF director (90 minutes)

• Local TANF front-line staff (up to 3 people, individually or as a group; 60 minutes each)

• Community-based organization representative (60 minutes)

• Adults in low-income two-parent families, including a mix of families participating in TANF and those eligible but not participating (up to 5 families, individually; 60 minutes each)

Focus Groups:

• Adults in two-parent families receiving cash assistance either through TANF or an SSF (4 to 8 participants; 90 minute group discussion)

• Adults in two-parent families likely eligible for TANF but not receiving cash assistance (4 to 8 participants; 90 minute group discussion)

• As needed, up to two additional focus groups could be conducted in Spanish.

If you have any questions, please let me know. Again, we hope you will be willing to participate in the study and share your experiences of serving two-parent families through TANF. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Heather Hahn

Heather McCallum Hahn, Ph.D.

Senior Fellow

Center on Labor, Human Services and Population

The Urban Institute

(202) 261-5736

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