NonSub Change Request - COVID Qs 3rd Site Visits

To: Jordan Cohen

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

From: Kathleen Dwyer and Alysia Blandon

Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE)

Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

Date: June 22, 2021

Subject: NonSubstantive Change Request – Evaluation of the Family Unification Program (OMB #0970-0514)

This memo requests approval of nonsubstantive changes to the approved information collection, Evaluation of the Family Unification Program (OMB #0970-0514).

Background

The Evaluation of the Family Unification Program study was approved on 9/18/2018. The study is a multi-site randomized controlled trial evaluation of the Family Unification Program, which provides housing vouchers to child welfare involved families. The study consists of both an impact evaluation and an implementation study. Data collection consists of qualitative interviews and focus groups with program staff and families, forms to be filled out by staff, and administrative data collection. The study includes six sites across two cohorts (four in the first cohort, two in the second cohort).

The focus of this request is the qualitative interviews and focus groups with program staff. The primary goal of these interviews and focus groups is to understand how the program operates during the study period. The interviews and focus groups take place over three site visits. The first site visit has been completed with all sites. The second site visit has been completed with the first cohort and will take place in the summer of 2021 with the second cohort. The third site visit will take place in the summer of 2021 with the first cohort and in the summer of 2022 with the second cohort. In May 2020, changes were approved to the second site visit protocols to clarify our interest in understanding how the program was working before the COVID-19 pandemic and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overview of Requested Changes

We would like to make similar changes to the protocols for the third site visit, that is, to clarify how the program was working before the COVID-19 pandemic and during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, we would like to add a clarifying question to all staff protocols regarding whether any of the changes that were made to the program in response to the COVID-19 pandemic will become permanent changes. We propose updates to the following interview and focus group protocols:

• Appendix D – Guide for Implementation Study for PCWA Management

• Appendix E – Guide for Implementation Study for PHA Management

• Appendix G – Guide for Implementation Study for Referral Provider Administrator

• Appendix H – Guide for Implementation Study for PCWA FUP Management (Second)

• Appendix I – Guide for Implementation Study for PHA FUP Management

• Appendix J – Guide for Imp Study Focus Groups for PHA Frontline Workers

• Appendix L – Guide for Implementation Study Focus Group with Frontline Workers

• Appendix M – Guide for Imp Study for PCWA FUP Management (Third)

• Appendix N – Guide for Imp Study for Service Provider Management

In sum, the proposed changes are meant to clarify that we would like to know how the program operated prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as whether any changes made due to COVID-19 will be permanent. However, the questions are largely the same.

Time Sensitivities

This work is time sensitive. We are planning our first virtual site visit in early July. We will need the protocols finalized by July 1^st so that we can conduct the site visits in a timely manner.