ATTACHMENT J_Recruitment Email for Potential Key Informant Interviewees

OMB Control No.: 0970-xxxx

Expiration Date: xx/xx/20xx

ATTACHMENT J: RECRUITMENT EMAIL FOR POTENTIAL KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWEES

Dear Home Visiting Program Manager:

In collaboration with the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Administration for Children and Families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded a contract to the Urban Institute to conduct a national survey of the home visiting workforce in implementing agencies funded through the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program. You may have already participated or received an invitation to participate in a national survey as part of this research. As a related piece of this project, researchers at the Urban Institute are conducting a qualitative study, including key informant interviews with home visiting program managers and supervisors, as well as focus groups with home visitors.

We are inviting you and your home visiting staff to participate in this important research.

Q: What is the purpose of the study?

A: The two main aims are to

1. Examine the state of the home visiting workforce funded through the MIECHV program and the characteristics, qualifications, and career trajectories of home visiting staff; and

2. Identify strategies to build a pipeline of high-quality home visitors and supervisors across the United States.

Q: Is participation required?

A: No. All MIECHV-funded implementing agencies are invited to participate, but participation is voluntary. Responses are kept private, there is no penalty for not participating, and the federal government will not know whether or not your program and staff choose to participate.

Q: Why is participation important?

A: This is a critical opportunity to fill a gap in knowledge about the nature of the home visiting workforce on a national level. The federal government will use findings from the study in future planning around home visiting. Therefore, it is important that your program is represented in our findings.

Q: What does participation involve?

A: An in-person interview with research staff from the Urban Institute. The interview will last between 60 and 90 minutes, and researchers will meet you at your office. Some program managers might also be asked to help recruit home visiting staff from their agency to participate in a focus groups with home visitors.

Q: What will the interviewer ask?

A: The interviewer will ask about your home visiting agency, the staff that work there, factors affecting home visitor recruitment, factors affecting home visitor retention, and career advancement opportunities for home visitors.

Q: How do the focus groups work?

A: Some program managers will be asked if they are willing to help the research team recruit home visitors from their program to participate in focus groups. Focus groups are small groups of home visitors and will cover topics that are similar to the interviews.

We are aiming to conduct a site visit [CITY/AREA] in [MONTH] in order to hold interviews and focus groups. Are you available for a short phone call to discuss a possible site visit to your agency?

Thank you for your time and consideration of our research effort.

Best Regards,

This information collection is voluntary. 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: Urban Institute (Attn: Heather Sandstrom), 2100 M Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20037.

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Home Visiting Career Trajectories OMB Supporting Documents: Recruitment Email for Potential Key Informant Interviewees