0990-childF_Instructions for Key Informant Survey

Attachment F

Study of the Feasibility of a National Registry of Child Maltreatment Perpetrators

Instructions to the Key Informant Survey

The Key Informants Survey is one component of the Study of the Feasibility of a National Registry of Child Maltreatment Perpetrators. In this component, we are asking you and your staff to participate in three web-based surveys. Participation is voluntary.Your participation is important so that your state’s experiences and the opinions of key staff may be reflected in the study’s conclusions and recommendations.

Answers to certain questions may require the review of internal documents or consultation with other staff. These surveys are intended to solicit information and feedback to inform the content, structure, and functioning of such a registry, should one be established.

The Key Informant Survey involves three steps:

STEP 1: Identify those most qualified in your state to answer questions related to:

1. Current legal mandates and policies on sharing data on child abuse and neglect perpetrators. The person responding to this survey might be the attorney representing your child welfare agency, or another person knowledgeable about these issues. If your state has more than one data repository for child maltreatment perpetrators, a separate questionnaire should be completed for each repository.

2. Current practices on sharing information on child abuse and neglect perpetrators. The person responding to this questionnaire could be you or someone else who is most knowledgeable about current practices and experiences related to requesting and responding to inquiries, including those from other states. If your state has more than one data repository for child maltreatment perpetrators, a separate questionnaire should be completed for each repository.

3. Technical information on data repositories on child abuse and neglect perpetrators. In some States these are central registries separate from the child welfare administrative data system, in other cases not. This person answering these questions might be the administrator primarily responsible for the data systems in your state containing information about child maltreatment perpetrators. This person may be someone who works closely with the person providing the data extract in the Prevalence Study. If your state has more than one data repository for child maltreatment perpetrators, a separate questionnaire should be completed for each repository.

Tessa Robinette, a Research Analyst at WRMA, will be contacting you within 7 days to obtain the names and email addresses for the individuals most qualified to complete the three web-based surveys.

STEP 2: Ms. Robinette will contact the three key informants by email and send them the link to the web-based surveys. Her email communications with the key informants will indicate that she received their contact information from you.

STEP 3: Each key informant will complete the survey. The web-based survey allows participants the ability to respond to questions at times that best fit their schedules and at their own pace. Answers to certain questions may require the review of internal documents or consultation with other staff.

Thank you for your participation in the Key Informant Survey. Should you have additional questions, you may contact:

Tessa Robinette

WRMA, Inc.

2720 Gateway Oaks Drive, Suite 250

Sacramento, CA 95833

Tel: (916) 239-4020, ext. 232

Email: trobinette@wrma.com