NonSub Change - LifeSet Eval Increase Number Respondents

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:	May 3, 2022
Subject:	Non-Substantive Change Request – Evaluation of LifeSet (OMB #0970-0577)

This memo requests approval of non-substantive changes to the approved information collection, Evaluation of LifeSet (OMB #0970-0577).

Background

LifeSet is a therapeutic case management program that provides youth and young adults leaving foster care, juvenile justice, and mental health systems with the intensive in-home support and guidance they need in the transition to adulthood. The current LifeSet evaluation has two main components: an impact study to assess the effects of program participation on outcomes of interest and an implementation study to describe and document how LifeSet is implemented in New Jersey. The study is intended to contribute to the evidence base on program models that support young adults in the transition out of foster care.

Project activities for the impact study include three waves of youth surveys and collection of administrative and program data. Project activities for the implementation study include interviews and focus groups with key staff and study youth. To date, 403 youth have been randomized and 142 youth have completed the baseline youth survey (Instrument 1).

As the evaluation has progressed, program take-up has been lower than anticipated. To account for the decrease in excess demand, the team is changing the randomization ratio from a 1:1 randomization ratio (1 treatment to 1 control, or 1T:1C) to a 2:1 randomization ratio (2 treatment to 1 control, or a 2T:1C). A total of 340 youth were randomized at the 1T:1C ratio (170 in each group) and an expected 321 additional youth will be randomized at the 2T:1C ratio, for a final sample size of 661 (384 treatment, 277 control). The new sample sizes for the adjusted ratio allows the study to preserve power while having unequally sized groups, but increases the sample size from the original estimate of 600 respondents. Thus, we are seeking to increase our burden for the baseline youth survey (Instrument 1) from 600 to 661 responses.

This nonsubstantive change is intended to preserve the quality of data collected, it does not alter the purpose of the data collection nor the expected uses of the data as approved by OMB in September 2021, October 2021, and January 2022.

Overview of Requested Changes

We request approval to increase the number of respondents to the baseline youth survey (Instrument 1) by 61 responses, increasing the survey burden from 600 to 661. This would add 36.6 total hours, or 12.2 hours annually, to the response burden. The total annual respondent cost for this additional burden would be $183. We have updated the Supporting Statements to reflect the change in ratio and burden estimates.

Time Sensitivities

This work is time sensitive. Participant responses to the baseline youth survey (Instrument 1) are currently being collected. Timely approval of the proposed changes will allow data collection to continue without pause or effect on the project timeline.