Supporting Statement A_RED-X_ 9.16.22

Alternative Supporting Statement for Information Collections Designed for

Research, Public Health Surveillance, and Program Evaluation Purposes

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Human Services Analysis Execution Project

OMB Information Collection Request

New Collection

Supporting Statement

Part A

September 2022

Submitted By:

Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation

Administration for Children and Families

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

4^th Floor, Mary E. Switzer Building

330 C Street, SW

Washington, D.C. 20201

Project Officer:

Kimberly Clum

Part A

Executive Summary

• Type of Request: This Information Collection Request is for a new information collection. We are requesting two years of approval.

• Description of Request:

The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) seeks approval for a one-time qualitative study to explore how changes made to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in one state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program’s policies and service delivery system were experienced by different racial and ethnic groups in that state. The goal is to obtain an in-depth understanding of how TANF participants of different racial and ethnic backgrounds experienced these policy and programmatic changes by comparing those experiences within three purposively selected sites in one state and to assess whether those changes may have helped to ameliorate or potentially created new challenges around program and benefit access for different populations. The data will not be generalized to the broader population. We do not intend for this information to be used as the principal basis for public policy decisions.

A1. Necessity for Collection

Research demonstrates significant differences in experiences of the TANF social service delivery system by race and ethnicity. The purpose of this information collection is to explore how families of different ethnic and racial backgrounds experience policy and process changes made to one state’s TANF program in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The overall goal of the project is to assist ACF in identifying ways to improve ACF program delivery for all families regardless of race or ethnicity. The project builds on the earlier OPRE Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Human Services (RED) project, which helped build a base of knowledge to inform the ACF’s identification and understanding of ethnic and racial differences across the service delivery system in access to and take-up of human services; in the nature and quality of services received; and in the outcomes of services.

Racial and ethnic disparities in human services programs such as TANF can threaten the integrity of assistance programs, but more research is needed to understand how families of different racial and ethnic backgrounds experience the programs and how policies and practices might contribute to disparities. ACF has contracted with the Urban Institute to complete this study.

There are no legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection. ACF is undertaking the collection at the discretion of the agency.

A2. Purpose

Purpose and Use

By focusing on one state’s experience, the purpose of this information collection is to obtain an in-depth understanding of how COVID-19 related changes to TANF policy and practice were implemented and how those changes were experienced by TANF-eligible individuals from different racial and ethnic groups. This information collection will help ACF better understand ways in which these changes may have helped to ameliorate or potentially created new challenges around TANF program and benefit access for different populations. ACF and the project team will use the results from the study to assess opportunities for scaling up this research through future, additional qualitative studies that would explore these questions with a greater number of states. Findings from the study will also be used to produce written deliverables for policymakers and local agencies on potential implications for racial and ethnic disparities of COVID-19 related changes to TANF policy and practice.

More details about the purposive selection criteria are available in Section B2 of Supporting Statement B under Respondent Recruitment and Site Selection; more details about dissemination activities are available in Section B7 of Supporting Statement B under Data Handling and Analysis.

The information collected is meant to contribute to the body of knowledge on ACF programs. It is not intended to be used as the principal basis for a decision by a federal decision-maker and is not expected to meet the threshold of influential or highly influential scientific information.

Research Questions or Tests

The primary research questions for the study include:

Qualitative Data Questions

1. How was the TANF program affected by the COVID-19 pandemic – what policies and practices were modified and how? Do the modifications represent temporary or permanent changes, and if temporary, are they currently in effect and/or when did or will they end?

2. For policy and practice changes to service delivery made in response to COVID-19:

   1. How was the policy implemented before COVID-19? How was the policy modified in response to COVID-19? What is the current policy?

   2. How is the policy/practice implemented across the state (e.g., who determines how the policy is implemented, who carries out the policy, how is the policy applied to different participants, how is the policy/practice described and understood by applicants or participants)?

   3. How is implementation similar and how is it different in the three selected locations in the state?

      1. How do TANF state-level and local-level administrators and TANF staff explain, define, and implement the policy/practice? What are similarities and differences in their accounts?

      2. How do TANF state-level and local-level administrators and TANF staff describe the period of modification in policy: how did the change come about, how was it implemented, what were implementation challenges, how were challenges addressed? What were implementation successes (how do they define success, and what made it successful)?

      3. How do/did TANF applicants, and those who are eligible, but not enrolled, view the policy (i.e., the policy change whether still required or not))?

3. How do TANF clients, and those who are eligible, but not enrolled, experience the policy or practice (e.g., virtual services, distribution of devices to access remote services, online options for returning completed paperwork, job search requirements)?

   1. Are there aspects of the policy or practice they find challenging?

   2. Are there aspects of the policy or practice they find helpful?

   3. How do TANF clients, and individuals who are eligible, but not enrolled, of different races and ethnicities describe the policy/practice and its effects?

Study Design

The Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Human Services Analysis Execution (RED-X) project will use a qualitative study design to collect qualitative data at three sites in one state. If state and local-level program administrative data is available, we will supplement the qualitative data collection with analyses of the demographic composition and services profiles of TANF program participants. The qualitative study will use interviews and focus groups with key respondents, using a purposive sampling approach.

The project team will conduct an in-person or virtual site visit (depending on the state of COVID-19) in three locations in one state with a range of respondents to examine how adaptations to the state’s TANF policies and processes because of COVID-19 were implemented and experienced at the local level by different racial and ethnic groups. Study data will be collected from staff who administer TANF at the state level and at three local sites within the state, local frontline TANF staff, staff from community-based organizations that serve TANF-eligible individuals, staff from programs partnering with the state in the provision of tablet computers to TANF program participants or other virtual services, individuals enrolled in TANF, individuals enrolled in TANF and participating in the tablet program, and individuals likely eligible but not receiving TANF. Respondents will be selected based on their staff positions and/or experiences as either TANF program participants or as individuals who are eligible for TANF but not enrolled. Selecting respondents based on these characteristics will enable the study team to answer the research questions posed above. Each of these respondents has key insights on how the TANF program operates, as well as a unique perspective on the greater service context in which TANF operates. Qualitative data collection with these respondents will provide critical information for addressing the research questions listed above.

We will conduct semi-structured interviews with up to 8 state and regional TANF administrators, 20 local frontline staff, 6 staff from community-based organizations that serve TANF-eligible individuals, 6 staff from the program partnering with the state in the provision of tablet computers to TANF program participants or other virtual services, 10 tablet program participants, 60 TANF program participants, and 30 individuals likely eligible, but not receiving TANF. At the broadest level, an objective of the interviews with all respondents is to gather and synthesize their perspectives on the TANF program, relevant COVID-19 policy and programmatic modifications, and how these modifications might pose challenges or benefits for different racial and ethnic populations. Interviews with TANF administrators and staff will focus on policy, programmatic, and practice changes due to COVID-19, service provision, and the service context. Interviews with staff from community-based organizations will focus on their perceptions of participants’ experiences in applying for and participating in TANF, and their perceptions of the TANF program. Interviews with staff from the tablet program or programs partnering in the provision of virtual services will focus on their experiences partnering with the TANF program and their understanding of the processes and challenges, if any, around the distribution of tablets to TANF participants and/or provision of virtual services. The study will include interviews and focus groups with TANF program participants, which will explore their experiences applying for and/or enrolling in TANF, experiences with TANF staff, experiences with virtual services, and perceptions of the program. Focus groups with tablet program participants will allow for deeper focus on the tablet program and participants’ experiences with the tablet program, specifically. The focus group format is designed specifically to elicit examples or stories by creating a trusting environment where participants can relate and build on each other’s experiences. Finally, interviews and focus groups with individuals likely eligible but not currently receiving TANF will focus on their perceptions of the program and better understanding barriers to applying and receiving TANF.

The purposive sampling design is limited in that it will not capture every potential stakeholder and each stakeholder’s participation is voluntary – meaning administrators, staff, and individuals enrolled in TANF may decline an interview. As noted in Supporting Statement B, the results are not designed to be representative of or generalizable to all individuals or providers but are intended to reflect variation in stakeholders’ experiences. More details about the rationale of our study design are available in Section B1 of Part B under Appropriateness of Study.

Table A.1. Data collection activities

Instruments	Respondent, Content, Purpose of Collection	Mode and Duration
Interview Guide for State and Regional TANF Administrators	Respondents: TANF administrators. Content: State and local TANF policies and practices and services for families. Purpose: Understanding TANF service delivery context and policy and practice modifications in response to COVID-19; understanding perspectives on the service context for families of different ethnic and racial backgrounds.	Mode: in-person or virtual site visit. Execution: 1 site visit to each of 4 locations; 1 location for the state TANF agency and 3 local TANF offices. Duration: 60 minutes.
Interview/Focus Group Guide for Local TANF Frontline Staff	Respondents: TANF frontline staff. Content: Local TANF policies and practices and services for families. Purpose: Understanding TANF service delivery context and policy and practice modifications in response to COVID-19; understanding perspectives on the service context for families of different ethnic and racial backgrounds.	Mode: in-person or virtual site visit. Execution: 1 site visit to each of 3 local TANF offices. Duration: 60 minutes for interviews; 90 minutes for focus groups.
Interview Guide for Community-Based Organizations	Respondents: Staff at community-based organizations. Content: State and local TANF policies and practices and services for families. Purpose: Understanding TANF service delivery context and policy and practice modifications in response to COVID-19; program implementation challenges and successes; perceptions of recipients’ experiences participating in TANF, including differences by race and ethnicity.	Mode: in-person or virtual site visit. Execution: 1 site visit to each of 3 locations. Duration: 60 minutes.
Interview Guide for Tablet Providers and Program Partners	Respondents: Tablet Providers and Program Partners. Content: State and local TANF policies and practices and services for families. Purpose: Understanding the tablet program implementation challenges and successes; perceptions of recipients’ experiences participating in tablet program, including differences by race and ethnicity.	Mode: in-person or virtual site visit. Execution: 1 site visit to each of 3 local TANF offices. Duration: 60 minutes.
Interview/Focus Group Guide for TANF Program Participants	Respondents: Individuals enrolled in TANF. Content: State and local TANF policies and practices and services for families. Purpose: Understanding individuals’ experiences applying for and enrolling in TANF, experiences with TANF staff, experiences with the COVID-19 modified policies, processes, and resources, perceptions of the TANF program.	Mode: in-person or virtual site visit. Execution: 1 site visit to each of 3 local TANF offices. Duration: 60 minutes for interviews; 90 minutes for focus groups.
Focus Group Guide for Tablet Program Participants	Respondents: Individuals enrolled in TANF and participating in tablet program. Content: State and local TANF policies and practices and services for families. Purpose: Understanding individuals’ experiences with virtual services, especially the tablet program, and perceptions of the TANF program.	Mode: in-person or virtual site visit. Execution: 1 site visit to each of 3 local TANF offices. Duration: 90 minutes.
Interview/Focus Group Guide for Individuals Likely Eligible but Not Receiving TANF	Respondents: Individuals likely eligible but not enrolled in TANF. Content: State and local TANF policies and practices and services for families. Purpose: Understanding individuals’ experiences applying for and enrolling in TANF, experiences with TANF staff, and perceptions of the TANF program.	Mode: in-person or virtual site visit. Execution: 1 site visit to each of 3 locations. Duration: 60 minutes for interviews; 90 minutes for focus groups.

Other Data Sources and Uses of Information

The project team will use information from published program materials like state websites, and any program materials the state is willing and able to provide prior to the site visits to minimize burden. We will request relevant available administrative data from the state’s department of social services, including data on the demographic composition of TANF clients affected by policies and processes changed in response to COVID-19.¹

Data from interviews and focus groups will be used in concert with findings from the ACF-funded Welfare Rules Database (https://wrd.urban.org/wrd/Query/query.cfm) and other available information to minimize collecting data on information already compiled. The Welfare Rules Database is a publicly accessible database that provides a longitudinal account of the changes in welfare rules in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

A3. Use of Information Technology to Reduce Burden

Although we have planned to conduct in-person site visits, we will be prepared to conduct all data collection remotely via telephone and video conferencing software, if necessary.

Although we plan to conduct interviews and focus groups in-person, we will offer respondents the option to participate in an interview via telephone or video conference if they prefer that mode or are unable to participate in person during our site visit. With respondents’ permission, the project team will audio record the interviews and focus groups to minimize time needed for potential follow-up to clarify notes.

A4. Use of Existing Data: Efforts to reduce duplication, minimize burden, and increase utility and government efficiency

The data captured by the interview and focus group protocols do not duplicate any current data collection efforts with these populations. To reduce the time burden on program staff and participants, the project team will conduct the interviews and focus groups as efficiently as possible and will work with program administrators and staff to determine the most appropriate respondents for each interview and focus group. The project team has designed the data collection instruments so that different respondents (e.g., TANF administrators and tablet program partners) may be asked the same questions in order to capture different knowledge and different perspectives. This provides a more robust description of the program model and service context. The project team will also leverage background information on the state’s policies and policy adaptation due to COVID-19 from consultations with experts and by reviewing the Welfare Rules Database. This will reduce participant burden as the team will not need to ask foundational questions of respondents. This material will also aid their understanding and interpretation of study findings.

A5. Impact on Small Businesses

No small businesses will be involved with this information collection.

A6. Consequences of Less Frequent Collection

This is a one-time data collection.

A7. Now subsumed under 2(b) above and 10 (below)

A8. Consultation

Federal Register Notice and Comments

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR Part 1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 1995), ACF published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the agency’s intention to request an OMB review of this information collection activity. This notice was published on July 14, 2022 (87 FR 42180) and provided a sixty-day period for public comment. During the notice and comment period, no comments were received.

Consultation with Experts Outside of the Study

The project team involved experts in the general design and focus of the study.

Table A.2. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Human Services Analysis Execution Project expert advisers

Name	Affiliation
Heather Hahn	Urban Institute
Ife Floyd	Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (formerly)

A9. Tokens of Appreciation

The project team will give individuals enrolled in TANF, tablet program participants, and individuals who are likely eligible but not receiving TANF who participate in the interviews and focus groups, which are estimated to take 1 and 1.5 hours on average respectively, a $50 token of appreciation in the form of a gift card (or e-gift card if interviews and focus groups are conducted virtually). While the qualitative data from focus groups and interviews are not intended to be statistically generalizable to the full population, the study’s findings will be most relevant for policy and practice if the project team is able to secure participation from a wide range of participants, including those with substantial financial challenges or other barriers. This token is intended to offset costs of participation in the study, such as transportation costs, childcare, or other expenses and to help ensure that individuals with more constraints on their ability to participate may take part. The project team anticipates that $50 will serve as a reasonable amount that is high enough to support participation but is not so high as to appear coercive for potential participants.

A10. Privacy: Procedures to protect privacy of information, while maximizing data sharing

Personally Identifiable Information

The project team will obtain names, emails, and phone numbers in order to schedule focus groups with program and agency staff during the site visits. As discussed in more detail in Supporting Statement B, for interviews and focus groups with TANF enrolled individuals, tablet program participants, and individuals who are likely eligible but not receiving TANF, the project team will recruit through TANF staff and community-based organizations.

To maintain participants’ privacy, the project team will request verbal consent at the start of each discussion. Participants will be provided a physical copy of the consent form before the interview if it is in-person or presented with the consent form via video, email, or orally if the visit is virtual. Program staff who helped with the recruitment may be physically present at the sites if these discussions are conducted in-person but will not be permitted in the interview and/or focus group itself. If conducted virtually, program staff will not be permitted on the Zoom or phone call during the discussion. Information will not be maintained in a paper or electronic system from which data are actually or directly retrieved by an individuals’ personal identifier.

Assurances of Privacy

Respondents will be informed of all planned uses of data, that their participation is voluntary, and that their information will be kept private to the extent permitted by law. The project team will comply with all Federal and Departmental regulations for private information.

Interviews and focus groups with all respondents will be recorded with the permission of the respondents, and no one other than the research team will listen to the recording. If respondents want to say anything that they would prefer not to be recorded, they can ask the interviewer to pause the recorder. We will transcribe all focus groups and interviews; the recordings and interview notes will be saved on a secure server and destroyed after the study. For interviews and focus groups with state TANF administrators and staff, community based organizations and tablet/program partners, the project team will use the informed consent documents attached to each interview and focus group guide (Instruments A-D) to obtain consent for participation in the study. This form details the risks and benefits of participating and the level of expected privacy for each participant. Agency administrators and staff are categories of respondents not designated as vulnerable populations, and the information the project team will collect is not highly sensitive. The project team will ask respondents for factual information about their programs and work (e.g., what the programs do, the number of people they serve, who is eligible, the outreach and referral process). Because some study participants will be local agency or organization leaders, administrators or staff members, and because the project team will name the site in its reports, individuals reading the reports may be able to attribute particular information or comments to that respondent. The project team will tell respondents about this potential risk.

For interviews and focus groups with individuals receiving TANF, tablet program participants, and individuals likely eligible but not receiving TANF, the project team will use the informed consent form attached to each interview and focus group guide (Instruments E-G). This consent statement details the risks and benefits of participating and the level of expected privacy for each participant. Although there are some sensitive questions that will be asked, the questions primarily revolve around the individual’s experience with the TANF benefit or other associated services. Individuals will be informed that they may choose not to answer any and all questions during the interview. Notes from individual interviews will be deidentified.

All materials to be used with respondents as part of this information collection, including consent statements and instruments, have been submitted to the Urban Institute Institutional Review Board. We will not proceed with any data collection activities until we obtain IRB approval.

Data Security and Monitoring

As specified in the contract, the Contractor shall protect respondent privacy to the extent permitted by law and will comply with all Federal and Departmental regulations for private information. The Contractor shall ensure that all of its employees, subcontractors (at all tiers), and employees of each subcontractor, who perform work under this contract/subcontract, are trained on data privacy issues and comply with the above requirements. 

As specified in the evaluator’s contract, the Contractor shall use Federal Information Processing Standard compliant encryption (Security Requirements for Cryptographic Module, as amended) to protect all instances of sensitive information during storage and transmission. The Contractor shall securely generate and manage encryption keys to prevent unauthorized decryption of information, in accordance with the Federal Processing Standard.  The Contractor shall: ensure that this standard is incorporated into the Contractor’s property management/control system; establish a procedure to account for all laptop computers, desktop computers, and other mobile devices and portable media that store or process sensitive information. Any data stored electronically will be secured in accordance with the most current National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) requirements and other applicable Federal and Departmental regulations. In addition, the Contractor must submit a plan for minimizing to the extent possible the inclusion of sensitive information on paper records and for the protection of any paper records, field notes, or other documents that contain sensitive or PII that ensures secure storage and limits on access.  

A11. Sensitive Information ²

There will be limited sensitive questions asked of program or agency staff and TANF participants. Questions about perceptions of fairness of the TANF program, and perceived differences in experience among people of different racial and ethnic groups are included in the interview and focus group guides for staff and TANF recipients (Instruments A-G). The goal of these questions is to understand how well the TANF program meets the needs of families and where there may be differences by race and ethnicity. We will also ask individuals enrolled in TANF about their experiences with the TANF program, including their experiences applying for TANF, their experiences with virtual services during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their perception of fairness in the TANF program (Instruments E and F).

Before starting the interviews and focus groups, all respondents will be informed that their identities will be kept private and that they do not have to answer any question that makes them uncomfortable. Consent language will emphasize that information provided by TANF recipients will not be shared with TANF program staff nor affect their TANF case.

A12. Burden

Explanation of Burden and Cost Estimates

Table A.3 presents an estimate of time burden for the data collections, broken down by instrument and respondent. These estimates are based on our experience with interviewing program administrators and staff, and interviewing individuals eligible for and/or receiving TANF. We expect the total annual burden to be 86 hours. For deriving total annual costs on data, the study team based the average hourly wage estimates on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, as reported in May 2021 and the Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers as reported in the first quarter of 2021. For each instrument in Table A.3, the team calculated the total annual cost by multiplying the annual burden hours by the average hourly wage.

The total annual respondent cost was calculated using market prices for time and effort based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ wage data. The total annual cost burden to respondents is approximately $1829.85. For administrators and managers of TANF and community-based organizations, the figure ($36.92/hr.) is based on the mean wages for “Social and Community Service Managers,” job code 11-9151, as reported in the May 2021 U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates.

For front-line staff at DSS, the figure ($23.35/hr.) is based on the mean wages for “Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs,” job code 43-4061, as reported in the May 2021 U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates.

For staff at the tablet program provider, the figure ($68.46/hr.) is based on the mean wages for “Sales Managers,” job code 11-2022, as reported in the May 2021 U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates.

For program participants and for those eligible but not receiving TANF, the figure ($16.88) is based on the mean hourly wage of women high school graduates with no college, as we expect this categorization to apply to most program participants, as well as those eligible for TANF. This mean hourly wage is drawn from Table 5 in the Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2021 (bls.gov).

Each respondent will only participate in data collection once over the course of the study; either one interview or one focus group.

Table A.3. Estimated annualized cost to respondents

Instrument	No. of Respondents (total over request period)	No. of Responses per Respondent (total over request period)	Avg. Burden per Response (in hours)	Total Burden (in hours)	Annual Burden (in hours)	Average Hourly Wage Rate	Total Annual Respondent Cost
Instrument A: State and Regional TANF Administrators Guide (Interviews)	8	1	1	8	4	$36.92	$147.68
Instrument B: Local TANF Frontline Staff Guide (Interviews)	10	1	1	10	5	$23.35	$116.75
Instrument B: Local TANF Frontline Staff Guide (Focus Groups)	10	1	1.5	15	8	$23.35	$186.80
Instrument C: Community-Based Organizations Guide (Interviews)	6	1	1	6	3	$36.92	$110.76
Instrument D: Tablet Providers and Program Partners Guide (Interviews)	6	1	1	6	3	$68.46	$205.38
Instrument E: TANF Program Participants Guide (Interviews)	40	1	1	40	20	$16.88	$337.60
Instrument E: TANF Program Participants Guide (Focus Groups)	20	1	1.5	30	15	$16.88	$253.20
Instrument F: Tablet Program Participants Guide (Focus Groups)	10	1	1.5	15	8	$16.88	$135.04
Instrument G: Individuals Likely Eligible but Not Receiving TANF Guide (Interviews)	15	1	1	15	8	$16.88	$135.04
Instrument G: Individuals Likely Eligible but Not Receiving TANF Guide (Focus Groups)	15	1	1.5	23	12	$16.88	$201.60
Total Annual Burden and Cost					86		$1829.85

A13. Costs

There are no additional costs to respondents.

A14. Estimated Annualized Costs to the Federal Government

The estimated total cost for the data collection activities under this current request may be approximately $210,000. The annualized cost is $105,000. The estimate includes the costs of project staff time to collect the information, analyze the responses, and write up the results. Table A3 below shows estimated costs to the federal government by cost category.

Table A3.

Cost Category	Estimated Costs
Field Work	$100,000.00
Qualitative Analysis Total	$50,0000.00
Publications/Dissemination	$60,000.00
Total costs over the request period	$210,000.00
Annual costs	$105,000.00

A15. Reasons for changes in burden

This is a new information collection request.

A16. Timeline

Table A4 below provides a data collection schedule over the following two years. The project team will prepare a final report for public dissemination following the completion of data collection. See Supporting Statement B, section B7 for additional information about plans for dissemination.

Table A4.

Activity	Description	Timeframe (after OMB approval)
Site visits (including interviews and focus groups)	Interviews with program leaders, staff, and partners; Focus groups with program participants	Months 1-9
Analysis	Analyze interview and focus group data	Months 7-13
Reporting and Disseminating findings	Individual formative evaluation reports	Months 15-24

A17. Exceptions

No exceptions are necessary for this information collection.

Attachments

Appendices

Appendix A: Study Information for TANF Program Participants, Tablet Program Participants, and Individuals Likely Eligible but not Receiving TANF

Appendix B: Recruitment Email from Research Team to State and Regional TANF Administrators, Local TANF Frontline Staff, Community-based Organizations, and Tablet Providers and Program Partners

Appendix C: Recruitment Email and Script from Research Team to Recruiters of TANF Staff

Appendix D: Recruitment Email and Script from Research Team to Recruiters of TANF Program Participants, Tablet Program Participants and Individuals Likely Eligible but Not Receiving TANF

Appendix E: Recruitment Email from Research Team to TANF Program Participants, Tablet Program Participants and Individuals Likely Eligible but Not Receiving TANF

Attachments (Instruments)

Instrument A: Interview Guide for State and Regional TANF Administrators

Instrument B: Interview/Focus Group Guide for Local TANF Frontline Staff

Instrument C: Interview Guide for Community-based Organizations

Instrument D: Interview Guide for Tablet Providers and Program Partners

Instrument E: Interview/Focus Group Guide for TANF Program Participants

Instrument F: Focus Group Guide for Tablet Program Participants

Instrument G: Interview/Focus Group Guide for Individuals Likely Eligible but Not Receiving TANF

1 This request is not subject to PRA due to the number of respondents (fewer than 10).

2 Examples of sensitive topics include (but not limited to): social security number; sex behavior and attitudes; illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating and demeaning behavior; critical appraisals of other individuals with whom respondents have close relationships, e.g., family, pupil-teacher, employee-supervisor; mental and psychological problems potentially embarrassing to respondents; religion and indicators of religion; community activities which indicate political affiliation and attitudes; legally recognized privileged and analogous relationships, such as those of lawyers, physicians and ministers; records describing how an individual exercises rights guaranteed by the First Amendment; receipt of economic assistance from the government (e.g., unemployment or WIC or SNAP); immigration/citizenship status.

12