Form 1 Introductory Script - Program Staff

OMB No.: 0970-0439xxx

Expiration Date: 09xx/30xx/2016xx

INFORMATION COLLECTION ACTIVITY #5

INSTRUMENT #5

CHILD SUPPORT NONCUSTODIAL PARENT EMPLOYMENT DEMONSTRATION (CSPED)

INTRODUCTORY SCRIPT FOR PROGRAM STAFF

This script will be read by program intake staff to inform program applicants about the CPSED study.

CSPED Introductory Script

Now that we’ve talked about [PROGRAM NAME], I’d like to talk to you about a research study we are participating in. It is called the Child Support Noncustodial Parent Employment Demonstration (CSPED) (CSPED) study. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is sponsoring the study, and a group of researchers from the University of Wisconsin and Mathematica Policy Research are assisting with it. Programs like ours and parents in several states around the country are participating in the study.

The purpose of the CSPED study is to learn more about which services help noncustodial parents like you build better relationships with their children and help you to meet your child support obligations. Your participation in the study along with the other parents will help the researchers determine what services best serve parents like you and improve the services offered by programs like ours.

Since our program is part of the CSPED study, you have to agree to participate in the study if you want to participate in our program. If you do not want to participate in the study you will not be able to participate in our program. We will give you information about other services you can receive in the community.

Because space is limited and we cannot serve all of the parents who are interested in our program, the research team created a computer program to randomly select which parents will be able to participate in our program. The computer will place you into one of two groups: one group will receive [PROGRAM NAME] program services at no cost to them and the other group will not. The computer works like a flip of a coin—assignment to a group is completely random. The chance of being selected to receive services is not influenced by what you say to me or the staff at the University of Wisconsin or Mathematica.

If you agree to participate, we can start the process by calling the interviewers at the University of Wisconsin. They will ask you some questions that will take approximately 30 minutes to answer. Everything you tell the program staff or the researchers will be kept strictly private and will not be shared with anyone, except as required by law. Nothing will ever be said about you as an individual. Instead, information about you will be combined with information from other parents in the study so the researchers can say things like “30 percent of parents in the program have two children.”

You will receive a $10 gift card in appreciation for your time spent answering the questions. Once you complete the interview, I will let you know if you are assigned to the program group or not.

Do you agree to participate in the study? If yes, please place the call to the University of Wisconsin Survey Center at 800-XXX278-XXXX2603.

If the parent is not interested in participating in the study, ask if (s)he has any questions about the study. You will find answers to frequently asked questions on the following pages. If (s)he is still not interested in participating in the study after you have answered the questions please thank him/her for taking the time to come in today and provide him/her with a list of other services available in the community.