Appendix B: Outreach email for Focus Group Recruiters

Appendix B: Outreach email for Front-line Staff Recruiting Focus Group Participants

Email to Focus Group Recruiters

A team of researchers from the Urban Institute and Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago is conducting a study for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF) for programs for transition age foster youth. ACF is particularly interested in programs that help young people succeed in college/become employed. As part of that study, we will be conducting focus groups with young people in your program on insert dates. The purpose of the focus groups is to learn more about their experiences as program participants.

We need to recruit between 10-12 young people 18 and over for each focus group and are asking your staff to help us with recruitment by distributing the enclosed flyer to current program participants. We are looking for participants who can speak knowledgeably about the program based on their own experience, including both those who have experienced success in the program and those who have faced challenges. Any assistance you can provide would be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions about the focus group or the larger study, please contact XXX.

Thank you.

RECRUITMENT SCRIPT

Please use the following script to inform the young people you work with about the focus groups.

Researchers from the Urban Institute and Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago are conducting a study to identify programs for transition age foster youth for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), an agency in the federal government. ACF is particularly interested in programs that help young people succeed in college/become employed.

As part of that study, the researchers will be conducting focus group with some of the participants 18 and over in this program. Focus group participants will take part in a discussion that will last no more than 2 hours, which includes introductions and the 90 minute discussion. During the discussion, you will be asked about your experience with the program and the support the program provides. For participating in the focus group, you will receive a $25 thank you for participation.

It’s completely up to you whether or not you want to participate in the focus group. Regardless of whether you decide to participate in the focus group, the services and supports you receive from this program will not be affected. Responses will be kept private (in that they will not attribute responses to a specific name).

Do you want to participate in the focus group?

IF YES → CONTINUE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHEDULED DATE AND TIME

IF NO → STOP.

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 number for this information collection is 0970-0XXX and the expiration date is xx/xx/xxxx.