Appendix A_MIHOPE-K Caregiver contact materials

Dear [CAREGIVER],

We hope you and your family are well [and settling into the school year]. [additional sentence specific to covid-19 situation at time of sending] Now that [CHILD/your child] is older, the MIHOPE team wants you to share your experiences with us again. But first, we need to make sure [CHILD/your child] is in kindergarten [or first grade] this year. Follow these easy steps today to update us! It will take just a few minutes.

Shape1

Login at [website]
Enter your username and password

Secure Username: [USERNAME]

Secure Password: [PASSWORD]

What is MIHOPE?

You may remember [if baseline respondent: joining the MIHOPE study about home visiting in [MONTH/YEAR ENROLLED IN MIHOPE] [if participated since baseline: and talking to us about your family as [[CHILD]/your child] has grown up]]/[if non-baseline respondent: participating in the MIHOPE study about home visiting as [[CHILD]/your child] has grown up]. While the study started when [CHILD/your child] was a baby, it is not over. We are still learning more about how home visiting can make a difference for families.

A thank you for you and [CHILD/your child]

You are one of 4,000 families who are contributing their unique experiences to the study, and we are grateful! With your help, we have been able to learn about how home visiting programs help families. Your unique experiences are essential to understanding what services can help families.

As a thank you for everything you have done for MIHOPE, we’ve included [GIFT] for [[CHILD]/your child].

What will happen next

You will receive another [letter/email] from us in the next few weeks with more information. We are excited to hear from you as your child continues [kindergarten/first grade/kindergarten or first grade]!

Sincerely,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

MIHOPE Study Team | Mathematica Policy Research

| P.O. Box 2393 | Princeton, NJ 08543-2393 | [TOLL FREE NUMBER] | [EMAIL ADDRESS]

Version 2:

[DATE]

Dear [CAREGIVER FIRST NAME],

We hope you and your family are well [and settling into the school year]. [additional sentence specific to covid-19 situation at time of sending] You have been such an important part of the MIHOPE study! We want to make sure that [CHILD/your child] is in [kindergarten/first grade/kindergarten or first grade] this year so you can share your experience. Follow these easy steps today to update us! It will take just a few minutes.

Shape2

Login at [website]
Enter your username and password

Secure Username: [USERNAME]

Secure Password: [PASSWORD]

Why we are contacting you

You may remember talking to us about the MIHOPE home visiting study [earlier this year/last year/in the past]. Now that [CHILD/your child] is in [kindergarten/first grade/kindergarten or first grade], we’d like to talk to you again. We are still learning about how home visiting services can make a difference for families.

A thank you for you and [CHILD/your child]

You are one of 4,000 families who have contributed their unique experiences to the study, and we are grateful! With your help, we have been able to learn about how home visiting programs help families. Your unique experiences are essential to understanding what services can help families.

As a thank you for everything you have done for MIHOPE, we’ve included [GIFT] for [[CHILD]/your child].

What will happen next

You will receive another letter from us in the next few weeks with more information. We are excited to hear from you as your child continues [kindergarten/first grade/kindergarten or first grade]!

Sincerely,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

MIHOPE Study Team | Mathematica Policy Research

P.O. Box 2393 | Princeton, NJ 08543-2393 | [TOLL FREE NUMBER] | [EMAIL ADDRESS

[INVITATION LETTER]

[DATE]

Dear [CAREGIVER],

The MIHOPE study needs your help again! You may remember joining the Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation in [MONTH/YEAR ENROLLED IN MIHOPE]. We recently sent you a letter with an update about the study.

Now that [[CHILD]/your child] is in [kindergarten/first grade/kindergarten or first grade], we want to talk to you again to see how you and [CHILD/your child] are doing.

We are interested in your experiences. Your experiences help us understand how programs for young children have affected families as children grow up. The information you provide will help [us learn more about home visiting and will help] home visiting programs know what they can do to help more families like yours. [MIHOPE wants to understand how these programs affect families as children grow up.] Only you can share your story.

If you are willing to share your opinions and experiences by phone and with some fun activities for you and your child at home [in person/or/by video], we will give you $75 as a thank you [for your time].

Shape3

What you should do now

Login to [website]. Your username is [USERNAME] and your password is [PASSWORD].
Let us know if [CHILD/your child] is in [kindergarten/first grade/kindergarten or first grade] this year. Make sure we have the best address, phone number, and email to reach you.

What will happen in the next few days?

A MIHOPE team member will call you in the next few days from a 609 [or display area code] area code to do a phone interview with you for one hour. We will give you a $25 gift card as a thank you for completing the interview.

Then, we’d like to schedule some fun activities for you and your child [in your home/through a video call]. [We can provide the equipment for the virtual visit [and can help you set it up/set it up for you..]]This will take , 1.5 hours. You will receive a $50 gift card and your child will receive a [BOOK/SMALL GIFT] to thank you.

You can find more information about [these/the study] activities on the back of this letter.

Please call us anytime at [TOLL FREE NUMBER] or visit [WEBSITE] if you have questions about the study.

We look forward to speaking with you soon,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director], on behalf of the MIHOPE study team

Mathematica Policy Research | P.O. Box 2393 | Princeton, NJ 08543-2393 | [TOLL FREE NUMBER] | [EMAIL ADDRESS]

FAQ’s – MIHOPE Kindergarten & First Grade Phase

What is the telephone interview about?

We would like to learn about how your family has been doing since participating in MIHOPE. We would like to ask you some questions about your health, your child’s health, what you do as a parent, your child’s development, and your family’s economic situation.

All of these questions are voluntary. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions. All of your answers will be kept private. These questions take about one hour. [You can complete the interview at any time that works best for you - during the day, evening, or weekend.]

You will know we are calling because your caller ID will display [DISPLAY].

What activities will you be doing with me and my child?

Your child will play a few games (language, math, and memory games)
You will play a memory game
We will videotape you and your child playing with toys
We will ask for your consent to contact your child’s teacher

We will do these activities in whichever way is most comfortable for you. For example, you can take breaks between activities, refuse to do any of them, and/or stop an activity at any time. All of these activities are voluntary. If you do not want to do an activity, you do not have to. Information collected from these activities will be kept private. These activities are expected to take about an hour and a half.

[placeholder for COVID-related questions and answers:

COVID-19 related FAQ topics may include:

Health and safety protocols
Verifying protocols
General safety and risk levels
Vaccination status
Masking requirements or guidance
Other personal protective equipment
Temperature checks
Equipment protocols (cleaning, etc)

Examples follow:

Will a MIHOPE team member be inside my home?

A member of the MIHOPE field staff will travel to your home and guide you and [CHILD] through these activities if local health conditions permit and you are comfortable. /If you want to participate, but feel uncomfortable with having someone enter your home, we can also work with you to find another location to do these activities.
If [you’d prefer/we cannot visit you in-person], we will ask you and your child to participate in a “virtual visit” with a MIHOPE team member:
- A member of the MIHOPE [field] staff will travel to your home and [drop off/set up] equipment for a virtual visit
- An interviewer will contact you via an online live video call and guide you and [CHILD] through these activities.
- A field staff member will return to retrieve the equipment

Keeping you and your family safe is important to the MIHOPE team. [add sentence about following health and safety practices] All of our staff are trained to implement the most stringent health and safety practices, strictly following the most current CDC guidelines.]

I’m not very good with technology. Will I still be able to participate?

Yes! We understand that families have different comfort levels with technology. We will work closely with you to set up the equipment and to ensure that everything is working properly.

[IF EQUIPMENT SPECIALIST IN HOME] A MIHOPE team member will come to your home with the equipment shortly before the virtual visit. If you are willing, we can come into your home, setup all of the equipment, and get you connected to the person who will lead you and your child through the virtual visit activities. [IF NECESSARY ADD] In case you are curious, all of our staff are fully vaccinated, all of the equipment will have been cleaned and sanitized. When in your home, we will wear masks. [INSERT OTHER PROTECTIVE PROTOCOL PROCEDURES.] With a little information and help from you, we can get you set up and started in about 10 minutes.

What is the MIHOPE team doing to protect me and my family? What do you do to protect my health and safety?

We are doing as much as we can to protect you. For example:

All field staff are required to be vaccinated.
We have a rigorous cleaning protocol for all the equipment we [bring into your home/drop off for your use].
[IF VIRTUAL OFFERED] We can have a “contactless” drop off and pick up of the equipment for the home activities.
[IF EQUIPMENT SPECIALIST SET-UP OFFERED]
[INSERT OTHER EXAMPLES OF PROTOCOLS…]

Are the materials you are [giving me/bringing into my home] safe?

Yes. Prior to [entering your home/dropping off materials] we follow an extensive cleaning process for all of the equipment. All surfaces are wiped down with sanitizing cloths or sprayed with disinfectant. All paper products are printed and inserted for your personal use and have not been touched by others. Head phone and microphone covers are brand new and have not been used before. [INSERT OTHER STEPS IF ADDED].

What is your vaccination status?

All of Mathematica’s field staff are required to be vaccinated for the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19. It’s a requirement for employment.

Why do you want to contact my child’s teacher?

We want to know if home visiting affected how children are doing in [kindergarten/first grade/kindergarten or first grade]. Asking your child’s teacher some questions is the best way for us to get this information.

The survey will take your child’s teacher about 15-30 minutes to complete. We will ask them about your child’s learning, behavior, attendance, and whether your child is receiving any special services.

We will only ask the teacher these questions if you give us permission. If you do not want us to contact the teacher, that is fine. We will not share any information about your child that we have gathered from you with your child’s teacher.

[REFUSAL CONVERSION LETTER (REFUSAL IN PAST ROUNDS)]

[DATE]

Dear [CAREGIVER FIRST NAME],

We hope you and your family are well [and settling into the school year]. You and your child have been so important to the success of the MIHOPE home visiting study. Because of you, the study team has been able to learn how home visiting is improving the lives of families when children are toddlers. I/We understand that you were not interested in participating when our interviewers contacted you [when your child was about (15 months /2½ years /3½ years) old/in the past].

There are a lot of reasons why you may not have wanted to talk to us in the past. Perhaps we reached you at a busy time, maybe it was a bad day, maybe you saw it as of no benefit to you. Whatever the reason, we hope that this time you will choose to participate.

[I/We] know you are very busy, but we wanted to ask if you would consider talking to us again now that [CHILD/your child] is in [kindergarten/first grade/kindergarten or first grade]. We’re trying to learn how to make home visiting programs better so they can have a lasting impact on the families they serve. You and [CHILD] represent other families like yours and cannot be replaced.

This time around, we would like to interview you over the phone and schedule some fun activities with you and your child [in your home/or/as part of a “virtual” visit]. [A MIHOPE team member can/will visit you in-person. / Or a MIHOPE team member can video chat with you and [CHILD/your child]]. [We can provide the equipment for the virtual visit [and can help you set it up/set it up for you.]] You can find more information about these activities on the back of this letter. If you are willing to help us again, please call [TOLL FREE NUMBER] to schedule [these activities]. You can also visit [website]. Your username and password are:

[USERNAME]

[PASSWORD]

Our research team can answer any questions or address any concerns that you have.

If you choose to talk to us, we would like to thank you with $75 in the following ways:

We have a $25 gift card to give you for the telephone interview.
We have a $50 gift card and a [book/small gift] for your child for the other activities.

[As a thank you for everything you have done for MIHOPE, we’ve included [GIFT] for [[CHILD]/your child].]

I/We hope you understand how thankful we are for your past participation in MIHOPE, and how important you are to its success. I/We hope you will reconsider talking to us.

I/We wish you all the best,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

MIHOPE Study Team | Mathematica Policy Research

P.O. Box 2393 | Princeton, NJ 08543-2393 | [TOLL FREE NUMBER] | [EMAIL ADDRESS]

FAQ’s – MIHOPE Kindergarten & First Grade

What is the telephone interview about?

All of these questions are voluntary. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions. All of your answers will be kept private. These questions take about one hour. When we finish, you will receive a $25 gift card to thank you for your help. You can complete the interview at any time that works best for you - during the day, evening, or weekend.

You will know we are calling because your caller ID will display a [display area code].

What activities will you be doing with me and my child?

1. Your child will play a few games (language, math, and memory games)

2. You will play a memory game

3. We will videotape you and your child playing with toys

We will ask for your consent to contact your child’s teacher

We will do these activities in whichever way is most comfortable for you. For example, you can take breaks between activities, refuse to do any of them, and/or stop an activity at any time. All of these activities are voluntary. If you do not want to do an activity, you do not have to. activities. Information collected from these activities will be kept private. These activities are expected to take about an hour and a half. You will receive $50 for doing these activities.

[See invitation letter for possible covid-19 related FAQ topics and examples]

EMAIL MESSAGES

First email message, version 1 (similar to the pre-outreach letter):

To: [RESPONDENT EMAIL]

Subject: Has [CHILD/your child] started kindergarten or first grade/Is [CHILD/your child] in kindergarten or first grade?

(Este correo electrónico está disponible en español más abajo.)

Hi [CAREGIVER],

[MIHOPE STUDY SURVEY DIRECTOR NAME] here, from the MIHOPE team. We hope you and your family are well [and settling into the school year]. [additional sentence of well wishes specific to pandemic situation at time of sending] [We wanted to reach out to you because] you have been such an important part of the MIHOPE study. We recently sent you a letter in the mail with [GIFT] for [CHILD/your child], but we also wanted to send you an email to make sure you receive this important information.

We need to make sure [CHILD/your child] is entering/in kindergarten or first grade this year. Follow these easy steps today to update us! It will take just a few minutes.

Shape5

Login at [website]
Enter your username and password

Secure Username: [USERNAME]

Secure Password: [PASSWORD]

Why we are contacting you

[You may remember [if baseline respondent: joining the MIHOPE study about home visiting in [MONTH/YEAR ENROLLED IN MIHOPE] [if participated since baseline: and talking to us as [[CHILD]/your child] has grown up]]/[if non-baseline respondent: participating in the MIHPE study about home visiting as [[CHILD]/your child] has grown up]./You may remember talking to us about the MIHOPE home visiting study a few years ago/in the past.] While the study started when [CHILD/your child] was a baby, it is not over. We are still learning about how home visiting services can make a difference for families.

You are one of 4,000 families who have contributed their perspectives to the study, and we are grateful! With your help, we have been able to learn about how home visiting programs help families. Your unique experiences are essential to understanding what services can help families.

What will happen next

You will receive another [letter/email] from us in the next few weeks with more information. We are excited to hear from you now that your child is in kindergarten/first grade/kindergarten or first grade! Please call us anytime at [TOLL FREE NUMBER] or email us at [EMAIL ADDRESS] if you have questions about the study.

If you do not want to receive MIHOPE emails, reply to this message and type “unsubscribe” in the message.

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director], on behalf of the MIHOPE study team

Mathematica Policy Research

First email message, version 2 (similar to the pre-outreach letter):

To: [RESPONDENT EMAIL]

Subject: Has [CHILD/your child] started kindergarten or first grade?

(Este correo electrónico está disponible en español más abajo.)

Hi [CAREGIVER],

[MIHOPE STUDY SURVEY DIRECTOR NAME] here, from the MIHOPE team. We wanted to reach out to you because you have been such an important part of the MIHOPE study. We recently sent you a letter in the mail with [GIFT] for {CHILD/your child], but we also wanted to send you an email to make sure you receive this important information.

We want to make sure that [CHILD/your child] is in kindergarten/first grade/kindergarten or first grade this year so you can share your experience. Follow these easy steps today to update us! It will take just a few minutes.

Shape6

Login at [website]
Enter your username and password

Secure Username: [USERNAME]

Secure Password: [PASSWORD]

Why we are contacting you

You may remember talking to us about the MIHOPE home visiting study in the past. Now that [CHILD/your child] is in [kindergarten/first grade/kindergarten or first grade], we’d like to talk to you again. We are still learning about how home visiting services can make a difference for families.

What will happen next

If you do not want to receive MIHOPE emails, reply to this message and type “unsubscribe” in the message.

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director], on behalf of the MIHOPE study team

Mathematica Policy Research

Second email message:

Invitation letter included via hyperlink

To: [RESPONDENT EMAIL]

Subject: The MIHOPE study needs your help

Hi [CAREGIVER],

My name is [MIHOPE Study Survey Director], and I am part of the MIHOPE team. You may remember receiving [letters/emails] from me on recently with updates on MIHOPE. You can read my most recent letter here [“here” is a hyperlink to the invitation letter].

Now that [[CHILD]/your child] is in kindergarten/first grade/kindergarten or first grade, we want to see how you and your child are doing. We would like you to complete a phone interview. We would also like to do some fun activities with you and [CHILD/your child] [in your home/through a “virtual” visit]. [We can provide the equipment for the virtual visit [and can help you set it up/set it up for you.]] We will give you $75 total for helping us.

What you should do today

Login to [website]. Your username is [USERNAME] and your password is [PASSWORD]

Let us know if [CHILD/your child] is in kindergarten/first grade/kindergarten or first grade this year.
Make sure we have the best address, phone number, and email to reach you.

Don’t miss out on the chance to tell us about your unique experiences!

We look forward to hearing from you!

Your perspective is important and helps us learn more about home visiting. With your help, we are learning more about how home visiting can help children and families just like yours.

If you want more information about the study:

Click here to read the letter we recently sent you
Call us at [TOLL FREE NUMBER]
Visit us at [website]
Email us at [email address]

We appreciate everything you have done for the MIHOPE study. We are excited to hear from you!

If you do not want to receive MIHOPE emails, reply to this message and type “unsubscribe” in the message.

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director], on behalf of the MIHOPE study team

Mathematica Policy Research

Third email message:

To: [RESPONDENT EMAIL]

Subject: There’s still time to complete your [next] MIHOPE interview

Hi [CAREGIVER],

We have been trying to reach you to complete an interview for the MIHOPE study. You may have seen calls from a 609 [or display area code] area code or [DISPLAY] or your phone or received voicemails.

Please call [TOLL FREE NUMBER] to complete the interview today!

We want to talk to you because you and your child have been so important to the success of this study. Because of you, we have been able to learn that home visiting is improving the lives of families when children are toddlers.

We’d like to speak with you to see how you and your child are doing now that [CHILD/your child] is in kindergarten/first grade/kindergarten or first grade.

You will receive a $25 gift card for completing a phone interview. You can complete the interview at any time that works best for you - during the day, evening, or weekend. [You can also receive a $50 gift card as a thank you for completing a few fun activities [with [CHILD]/your child through an in-person visit with a MIHOPE team member/or through a video call with a MIHOPE team member.] [We can provide the equipment for the virtual visit [and can help you set it up/set it up for you.]]

We look forward to hearing from you. Because of you, we’re continuing to learn about how home visiting can make a difference!

For more information about MIHOPE:

Visit [website]
Call us at [toll free number]
Email us at [email address]

If you do not want to receive MIHOPE emails, reply to this message and type “unsubscribe” in the message.

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director], on behalf of the MIHOPE study team

Mathematica Policy Research

Email reminder:

To: [RESPONDENT EMAIL]

Subject: Participate in MIHOPE and receive $75

Hi [CAREGIVER],

The MIHOPE study still needs your help! We have been trying to reach you but haven’t heard back.

Shape7

Please call [TOLL FREE NUMBER] today to complete your interview. You will receive $25 as a thank you for your help.

[You can complete the phone interview whenever it is convenient for you – during the day, evening, or weekend.] [If we do not hear from you, a MIHOPE team member will be in your area in the next few weeks to complete the interview. While our team member is in your area, you can also receive another $50 for doing some fun activities with your child [in your home/through a video call]. [We can provide the equipment for the virtual visit [and can help you set it up/set it up for you.]]

Every time you talk to the study team, you are giving us important feedback about how home visiting programs affect children and families. We look forward to hearing from you!

To learn more about MIHOPE call [TOLL FREE NUMBER], send an email to [EMAIL ADDRESS], or click on this link [WEBSITE].

If you do not want to receive MIHOPE emails, reply to this message and type “unsubscribe” in the message.

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director], on behalf of the MIHOPE study team

Mathematica Policy Research

TEXT MESSAGES

First text message:

To: [RESPONDENT CELL NUMBER]

Body: Hello/Hi [NAME]! [The] MIHOPE [study team] would love to hear from you. [Please] join 4,000 mothers like you and/& call [TOLL FREE NUMBER] today to [complete/or/schedule] an interview. You will receive a $25 gift card. Thank you! Reply STOP to opt-out.

Reminder text messages:

To: [RESPONDENT CELL NUMBER]

Body: [Thank you/thanks for being part of MIHOPE! [Please] call [TOLL FREE NUMBER] today to complete your interview and/& receive $25. [[Also, if you haven’t already, please/Remember to] go to [WEBSITE LINK] to give us permission to contact your child’s teacher.] Reply/Text STOP to opt-out.

To: [RESPONDENT CELL NUMBER]

Body: Hello/Hi! Don’t miss [out on] the chance to share your perspective with [the] MIHOPE [team]! Please call [TOLL FREE NUMBER] today to [complete/or/schedule the interview]. You will receive a $25 gift card. [Thank you!] Reply STOP to opt-out.

To: [RESPONDENT CELL NUMBER]

Body: [NAME], we need your feedback to learn how home visiting works for families! Please call [TOLL FREE NUMBER] today to complete the interview and receive a $25 gift card. [Thank you!] Reply STOP to opt-out.

To: [RESPONDENT CELL NUMBER]

Body: Thank you for being [part of/in] MIHOPE! We’re still waiting/hoping to hear from you! A MIHOPE team member will be in your area [on [DATE]/soon] [to interview you]. [placeholder for health and safety language] [You will] receive a $25 gift card [for sharing your experiences/completing an interview]. [Thank you!] Reply STOP to opt-out.

To: [RESPONDENT CELL NUMBER]

Body: Thank you for completing the MIHOPE interview! As a next step, please call [TOLL FREE NUMBER] to schedule a visit to your home/a time for the home activities/a time for the activities with your child. [placeholder for health and safety language] You will receive a $50 gift card for doing these activities. [Thank you!] Reply STOP to opt-out.

To: [RESPONDENT CELL NUMBER]

Body: The MIHOPE team is still waiting to hear from you! Please call [TOLL FREE NUMBER] to schedule some fun [home/virtual] activities with you and your child. You will receive a $50 gift card. [Thank you!] Reply STOP to opt-out.

To: [RESPONDENT CELL NUMBER]

Body: Hello! There’s still time [to finish/for] the MIHOPE activities! [Please] call [TOLL FREE NUMBER] to complete a/an [phone] interview [and schedule a visit to your home/the home activities/a virtual visit]. You will receive [$25/$75] for [this activity/both activities]. [Thank you!] Reply STOP to opt-out.

[FIELD ADVANCE LETTERS]

Version 1:

[DATE]

Dear [CAREGIVER],

Thank you for completing the MIHOPE phone interview! We hope you enjoy this $25 gift card in appreciation of your time.

What’s next

A MIHOPE team member will be calling [in the next few weeks/soon] to schedule a time to complete some fun activities with you and your child [as part of a “virtual visit”/safely in your home]. You will receive a $50 gift card, and your child will receive a [BOOK/SMALL GIFT].

[placeholder for health and safety language for in-person visit or explanation of drop-off and set-up for virtual visit – see example language in invitation letter. For example:

For this “virtual visit”, you and [CHILD] will participate in a video call with a MIHOPE team member. We will drop off a computer to your home to use. We can bring it inside or drop it off at your door. Another team member will contact you on the phone to help set things up, and then they will play some fun games with you and your child. Afterwards, a team member will return and pick up the computer.

To protect the health of families, MIHOPE team members are trained to follow the most current health and safety practices.]

What to do now

Thank you for giving us permission to talk to [[CHILD]/your child]’s teacher.

We would like teachers to know that we will be contacting them soon to complete the survey. Could you please help us and give the attached letter to [[CHILD]/your child]’s teacher?

If you would like to learn more about the teacher survey, please visit [WEBSITE LINK].

Thank you for participating in MIHOPE. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Sincerely,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

MIHOPE Study Team | Mathematica Policy Research | P.O. Box 2393 | Princeton, NJ 08543-2393 |

[TOLL FREE NUMBER] | [EMAIL ADDRESS]

Version 2:

[DATE]

Dear [CAREGIVER],

Thank you for completing the MIHOPE phone interview! We hope you enjoy this $25 gift card in appreciation for your time.

What’s next

A MIHOPE team member will be calling [in the next few weeks/soon] to schedule a time to complete some fun activities with you and your child. You will receive a $50 gift card, and your child will receive a [BOOK/SMALL GIFT].

[placeholder for health and safety language for in-person visit or explanation of drop-off and set-up for virtual visit – see example language in invitation letter. For example:

To protect the health of families, MIHOPE team members are trained to follow the most current health and safety practices.]

If you would like to learn more [about the visit to your home/the home activities], please visit [website].

Thank you for participating in MIHOPE. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Sincerely,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

MIHOPE Study Team | Mathematica Policy Research | P.O. Box 2393 | Princeton, NJ 08543-2393 |

[TOLL FREE NUMBER] | [EMAIL ADDRESS]

Version 3:

[DATE]

Dear [CAREGIVER],

The MIHOPE study team wants to hear from you again. An interviewer from our team has been trying to contact you from a 609 [or display area code] phone number [to interview you on the phone], but has not been able to reach you. As a reminder, we would like to interview you over the phone and schedule some time to do some fun [contactless online] activities with you and [CHILD/your child].

Shape10

A MIHOPE team member will be in [your area/touch with you] [soon/in the next few weeks] to schedule/conduct your [visit/video chat] and complete an interview.

You will receive $75 as a thank you for your participation.

[You can also visit [website] to schedule the visit.]

[We also want to let you know that MIHOPE team members are trained to follow the most current health and safety practices. [[placeholder for health and safety language for in-person visit or explanation of drop-off and set-up for virtual visit – see example language in invitation letter. For example:

To protect the health of families, MIHOPE team members are trained to follow the most current health and safety practices.] If you would like to learn more, please visit [website].]

By helping us, you’ll be joining over 4,000 mothers across the country. Together your opinions will help us understand how to support children and families like yours. Your opinions and experiences matter and cannot be replaced!

We look forward to hearing from you,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

Version 4:

[DATE]

Dear [CAREGIVER FIRST NAME],

The MIHOPE study team wants to hear from you again. You and your child have been so important to the success of the MIHOPE study. Because of you, we have been able to learn that home visiting is improving the lives of families when children are toddlers.

An interviewer from our team has been trying to contact you from a 609 [or display area code] phone number to interview you on the phone, but has not been able to reach you. Perhaps it was an inconvenient time or you were surprised by the unknown number. Whatever the reason, I want to let you know that it is still possible to talk to us about how you and your child are doing.

Shape11

Please call [TOLL FREE NUMBER] today to complete your phone interview

You will receive $25 as a thank you for your participation.

By calling us back and speaking to us for one hour, you’ll be joining over 4,000 mothers across the country. Together your opinions will help us understand how to support children and families like yours. Your opinions and experiences matter and cannot be replaced!

We look forward to hearing from you,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

MIHOPE Study Team | Mathematica Policy Research

P.O. Box 2393 | Princeton, NJ 08543-2393 | [TOLL FREE NUMBER] | [EMAIL ADDRESS]

[THANK YOU LETTERS]

Version 1:

[DATE]

Dear [CAREGIVER],

Thank you for recently completing the MIHOPE [home/virtual] activities! If you have any comments about our field representative’s recent [visit/virtual visit] with you and your child, please call us at [TOLL FREE NUMBER] and ask for [SUPERVISOR NAME].

If your address, phone number, or email changes in the future, please update your contact information. You can do so by [visiting [WEBSITE] or] calling [TOLL FREE NUMBER].

We appreciate everything you have done for MIHOPE so far!

Sincerely,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

Version 2:

Thank you for recently completing the MIHOPE home/virtual] activities!

There is still time to complete the phone interview. Please call [TOLL FREE NUMBER] today to complete the interview. You will receive a $25 gift card.

We appreciate everything you have done for MIHOPE so far!

T hank you,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

MIHOPE Study Team

[Mathematic Policy Research]

Call 9:00 am to 10:00 pm Weekdays  11:00 am to 8:00 pm Weekends  Eastern Time

The described collection of information 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. The OMB control number for this collection is 0970-0402 and it expires 11/30/2021.

Version 3:

Thank you for completing the MIHOPE phone interview!

There is still time to finish the MIHOPE activities. Please call us today at
[TOLL FREE NUMBER] to schedule a time for us to do some fun [contactless] online activities with you and your child. You will receive a $50 gift card, and your child will receive a [book/small gift].

We appreciate everything you have done for MIHOPE so far!

T hank you,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

MIHOPE Study Team

[Mathematica Policy Research]

Call 9:00 am to 10:00 pm Weekdays  11:00 am to 8:00 pm Weekends  Eastern Time

Version 4 :

[DATE]

Dear [CAREGIVER],

Thank you for recently completing the MIHOPE phone interview! We hope you enjoy this $25 gift card.

If your address, phone number, or email changes in the future, please contact us to update your contact information. You can do so by [visiting [WEBSITE] or] calling [TOLL FREE NUMBER].

We really appreciate you talking to us. Thank you again for all of your contributions to MIHOPE!

Sincerely,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

REMINDER POSTCARDS

It is time to check in with you as part of the MIHOPE study!

We want to speak with you again to see how you and your child are doing.

Please call us at [TOLL FREE NUMBER] to complete or schedule your phone interview. You will receive $25 as a thank you.

We look forward to hearing from you soon!

T hank you,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

MIHOPE Study Team

[Mathematica Policy Research]

Call 9:00 am to 10:00 pm Weekdays  11:00 am to 8:00 pm Weekends  Eastern Time

The described collection of information is voluntary. An agency may not conduct of sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 0970-0402 and it expires 11/30/2021.

The MIHOPE team has been trying to reach you!

Please call us today at [TOLL FREE NUMBER] to complete your phone interview [and schedule a time for us to do some fun activities with you and your child].

You will receive [$25/$75] as a thank you for completing [the interview/all of the study activities].

T hank you,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

MIHOPE Study Team

[Mathematica Policy Research]

Call 9:00 am to 10:00 pm Weekdays  11:00 am to 8:00 pm Weekends  Eastern Time

There’s still time to participate in MIHOPE!

Help young mothers across the nation by completing the next MIHOPE interview!

Please call us at [TOLL FREE NUMBER] to complete your interview [and schedule a time for us to do some fun activities with you and your child]].

You will receive [$25/$75] as a thank you for completing [the interview/all of the study activities.]

Your continued participation is very important to us! We look forward to speaking with you soon.

T hank you,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

MIHOPE Study Team

[Mathematica Policy Research]

Call 9:00 am to 10:00 pm Weekdays  11:00 am to 8:00 pm Weekends  Eastern Time

There’s still time to participate in MIHOPE!

Help young mothers across the nation by completing the next MIHOPE interview!

Please call us at [TOLL FREE NUMBER] to complete your interview. You will receive $25 as a thank you.

Your continued participation is very important to us! We look forward to speaking with you soon.

T hank you,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

MIHOPE Study Team

[Mathematica Policy Research]

Call 9:00 am to 10:00 pm Weekdays  11:00 am to 8:00 pm Weekends  Eastern Time

There’s still time to participate in MIHOPE!

Help young mothers across the nation by completing the next MIHOPE home visit!

Please call us at [TOLL FREE NUMBER] to schedule a time for you and your child to complete some fun activities [through a video call]. You will receive $50 as a thank you, and your child will receive a [book/small gift].

Your continued participation is very important to us! We look forward to speaking with you soon.

T hank you,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

MIHOPE Study Team

[Mathematica Policy Research]

Call 9:00 am to 10:00 pm Weekdays  11:00 am to 8:00 pm Weekends  Eastern Time

[PRIORITY LETTER FOR NON RESPONDERS]

[DATE]

Dear [CAREGIVER FIRST NAME],

Over the past few weeks, our team has tried to contact you about this next phase of MIHOPE. You may remember agreeing to be a part of this study back in [RANDOM ASSIGNMENT MONTH, RANDOM ASSIGNMENT YEAR] [IF ANY PARTICIPATION AFTER BASELINE: and talking to our team over the years].

We need your help. We would like to speak with you to see how you and your child are doing now that [CHILD/your child] is in [kindergarten/first grade/kindergarten or first grade]. It is important that we speak to as many mothers in the study as possible. Your experiences are important to our understanding about how families are doing.

Helping out is easy. It starts with calling [TOLL FREE NUMBER] to complete your telephone interview. Afterwards, we would like to schedule some fun activities for you and your child [in your home/through a video call/ through a “virtual visit” to your home]. [For this “virtual visit”, you and [CHILD] will participate in a live video call with a study team member. The MIHOPE team will drop off a computer to your home to use. Another team member will contact you on the phone to help set things up for a live video call, they will ask you some questions, and do some fun activities with you and your child. Afterwards, a team member will come and pick up the computer.] You can find more information about [this activity/these activities] on the back of this letter. Afterwards, as a thank you, we will give you [$25/$75] for completing [this interview/all of the study activities].

We cannot stress enough how important your continued participation is to us and the success of MIHOPE. Information we have learned from past MIHOPE interviews has helped inform policy decisions about services that can help mothers and children. Help young mothers across the nation by completing the next MIHOPE interview.

We look forward to speaking with you soon.

Thank you,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

MIHOPE Study Team | Mathematica Policy Research

P.O. Box 2393 | Princeton, NJ 08543-2393 | [TOLL FREE NUMBER] | [EMAIL ADDRESS]

FAQ’s – MIHOPE Kindergarten & First Grade

What is the telephone interview about?

All of these questions are voluntary. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions. All of your answers will be kept private. These questions take about one hour. You can complete the interview at any time that works best for you - during the day, evening, or weekend.

You will know we are calling because your caller ID will display a [display] area code.

[What activities will you be doing with me and my child?

Your child will play a few games (language, math, and memory games)
You will play a memory game
We will videotape you and your child playing with toys
We will ask for your consent to contact your child’s teacher

[placeholder for FAQ relevant to covid-19 home visit protocols – see invitation letter for topics and examples]

[REFUSAL CONVERSION LETTER (REFUSAL IN CURRENT ROUND)]

[DATE]

Dear [CAREGIVER],

You and your child have been so important to the success of the MIHOPE study. Because of you, we have been able to learn that home visiting is improving the lives of families when children are toddlers.

I/We understand that when we recently contacted you that you were not interested in talking to us. [Perhaps you felt uncomfortable with someone coming to your home unexpectedly [because of current health conditions in your area/the COVID-19 pandemic].] Perhaps it was an inconvenient time or our team member surprised you by knocking on your door. Whatever the reason, I want to let you know that it is still possible to talk to us about how you and your child are doing.

We’d like to talk to you again now that [CHILD] is in [kindergarten/first grade/kindergarten or first grade]. We’re trying to learn how to make home visiting programs better so they can have a lasting impact on the families they serve. You and [CHILD] represent other families like yours and cannot be replaced in the study.

We would like to thank you in the following ways if you choose to participate:

We have a $25 gift card to give you in appreciation for a telephone interview; and
We have a $50 gift card in recognition of your help with a visit to your home; and
We have a [book/small gift] for your child.

You can find more information about the study activities these on the back of this letter.

If you are interested, please call [TOLL FREE NUMBER] to schedule an interview or a visit to your home. It is still possible to participate in these activities until [DATE]. We will not attempt to directly contact you again about these kindergarten and first grade activities.

Thank you again for all of your contributions to MIHOPE! We hope to hear from you and wish you all the best.

Sincerely,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

MIHOPE Study Team | Mathematica Policy Research

P.O. Box 2393 | Princeton, NJ 08543-2393 | [TOLL FREE NUMBER] | [EMAIL ADDRESS]

FAQ’s – MIHOPE Kindergarten & First Grade Phase

What is the telephone interview about?

We would like to learn about how your family has been doing since you last participated in MIHOPE. We would like to ask you some questions about your health, your child’s health, what you do as a parent, your child’s development, and your family’s economic situation.

What activities will you be doing with me and my child?

1. Your child will play a few games (language, math, and memory games)

2. You will play a memory game

3. We will videotape you and your child playing with toys

We will ask for your consent to contact your child’s teacher

We will do these activities in whichever way is most comfortable for you. For example, you can take breaks between activities, refuse to do any of them, and/or stop an activity at any time. All of these activities are voluntary. If you do not want to do an activity, you do not have to. activities. Information collected from these activities will be kept private. These

activities are expected to take about an hour and a half. You will receive $50 for doing these activities.

[placeholder for FAQ relevant to covid-19 home visit protocols – see invitation letter for topics and examples]

FOCAL CHILD BIRTHDAY CARD

Happy Birthday!

Best wishes from the MIHOPE study team on your child’s birthday!

Here’s to another year! And just like [[CHILD]/your child], the MIHOPE study is a year older too. Because you have been so important to the study, we want to stay in touch.

Please let us know if you have moved, changed phone numbers, or have a new email address.

[Visit [WEBSITE] or]

[Call/call] us at [TOLL FREE NUMBER]

[Your username and password:

[USERNAME]

[PASSWORD]]

You can also find updates to the study on www.mdrc.org/mihope.

Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation

Informing the future of home visiting

SEASONAL GREETING

Happy [Holidays/Spring]!

[Dear [CAREGIVER]],

The MIHOPE study team wishes you and your family a happy [and healthy holiday season/spring]!

Please let us know if you have moved, changed phone numbers, or have a new email address.

[Visit [WEBSITE] or]

[Call/call] us at [TOLL FREE NUMBER]

[Your username and password:

[USERNAME]

[PASSWORD]]

You can also find updates to the study on www.mdrc.org/mihope.

Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation

Informing the future of home visiting

File Type	application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
Author	Ashley Qiang
File Modified	0000-00-00
File Created	2021-12-01