Alternative Supporting Statement for Information Collections Designed for
Research, Public Health Surveillance, and Program Evaluation Purposes
Testing Identified Elements for Success in Fatherhood Programs (Fatherhood TIES)
OMB Information Collection Request
0970-0622
Supporting Statement
Part A
Type of Request: Revision
July 2024
Submitted By:
Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation
Administration for Children and Families
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
4th Floor, Mary E. Switzer Building
330 C Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20201
Project Officers:
Katie Pahigiannis
Rebecca Hjelm
Part A
Executive Summary
Type of Request: This Information Collection Request is for a revision, to add information collection materials for the second phase of this study. We are requesting to extend approval of OMB Control Number 0970-0622 “Testing Identified Elements for Success in Fatherhood Programs” from December 31, 2026 until March 31, 2027, or an additional three months.
Description of Request:
This is the second of two information collection requests for the Testing Identified Elements for Success in Fatherhood Programs (Fatherhood TIES) study (OMB #: 0970-0622). The first request (approved December 7, 2023) included consent for participants to enter the study, baseline data collection, and data collection about program processes and outcomes during the study period to support the study team’s understanding of implementation and how it could be improved. In this second request, approval is being sought for the remainder of study data collection which seeks to gather additional information about program implementation and outcomes. We do not intend for this information to be used as the principal basis for public policy decisions.
Time Sensitivity: The study team launched random assignment and study enrollment in January 2024. This timeline allows for maximum enrollment into the study so participants have the opportunity to complete all program activities by the time the grants for Fatherhood FIRE (Fatherhood—Family-focused, Interconnected, Resilient, and Essential)1 grant recipient organizations end in September 2025. By October 2024, the study team plans to begin implementation research data collection which requires the instruments in this package to be approved.
A1. Necessity for Collection
The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched the Testing Identified Elements for Success in Fatherhood Programs (Fatherhood TIES) project in 2022. Fatherhood TIES is a demonstration project designed to evaluate “core components” in five Responsible Fatherhood FIRE grant recipient organizations. Fatherhood FIRE grants fund organizations to offer a combination of robust economic stability services, healthy marriage education and activities designed to foster responsible parenting.2 Core components are the essential functions, principles and elements that are judged as being necessary to produce positive outcomes. Programs use several promising core components in their work with fathers, but more research would buttress the evidence of their efficacy. As part of the Fatherhood TIES project, OPRE is conducting data collection activities that involve program participants and program staff. Fatherhood TIES is one of several new studies funded by ACF taking complementary approaches to provide needed evidence about program strategies that serve fathers and their families.
As part of TIES, selected grant recipient organizations co-create with the study team interventions focused on individualized supports for fathers to implement within the context of their existing programs. The study will examine how each core component is operationalized at each location and test to what extent it helps fathers to connect with their children, improve their relationships with their partners or co-parents and empower them to achieve financial stability. This information is necessary to help to inform ACF, other fatherhood program funders, and program operators about components that are shown to be successful.
Fatherhood TIES includes two phases of data collection. Supporting Statement A and B are formatted to describe Phase 1 data collection, which has already been approved under this OMB number (0970-0622) and is currently in process, and Phase 2 data collection, for which we are currently submitting for review and approval. There are no changes proposed to Phase 1 data collections.
Phase 1 (Approved and In-Process; No changes from previously approved justification)
Phase 1 approval included consent of participants to enter the study, baseline data collection, and to obtain information about program processes and outcomes during the study period to support the study team’s understanding of implementation and how it could be improved.
This current Phase 2 request includes additional data collection such as semi-structured interviews with program staff, focus groups with participants, participatory research methods of photo voice and audio journaling, and the nine-month follow-up survey.
OPRE has contracted with MDRC to complete this work. Abt Global is subcontracted by MDRC for Fatherhood TIES.
A2. Purpose
Purpose and Use
Phase 1 and Phase 2 (No changes from previously approved justification)
Using a mix of research methods, this study will test “core components” of fatherhood programs. Five Fatherhood FIRE grant recipient organizations are partnered with the Fatherhood TIES study team to conduct an implementation study and an impact study of a set of core components identified through grant document reviews, meta-analysis of published literature, and expert engagement. Each organization implements a core component that is delivered individually, such as one-on-one or in a small group of three or fewer fathers. The individualized core components being tested are targeted program content (parenting); systems navigation (e.g., family court, child support, child welfare); and goal setting and engagement supports to help the father to achieve his goals.
The implementation study will help the study team to know how the core components are implemented at each program. The impact study will rigorously evaluate, using random assignment, whether promising core components can bring about positive outcomes for fathers and their families, which may include understanding effects on program engagement, employment and earnings, father-child relationship quality and co-parenting relationship quality.
Early findings from the Phase 1 information collection request – and additional information collection that is described in this Phase 2 request – will inform the study team’s technical assistance to the programs to strengthen their interventions. Findings will also be incorporated into documents or presentations that are made public, such as through conference presentations, website material, or social media. This study will add to the body of knowledge in the fatherhood field, revealing evidence on whether program elements designed to produce positive outcomes for fathers do so. This information will help to inform ACF, other fatherhood program funders, and program operators about program components that are shown to be successful, which may result in changes to how programs operate or how funding decisions are made.
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 study team’s priority is to use the random assignment method in five Fatherhood FIRE grant recipient programs to inform impact and implementation studies with the research questions listed below.
Impact Study Research Questions:
What is the overall impact of individualized supports for fathers on employment and earnings, co-parenting, parenting access and father-child relationship quality, and couple relationships, for relevant fathers?
To what extent do these impacts vary by the type of component tested?
How was each program element implemented compared to business-as-usual practice? What did it take to promote high levels of engagement in each element amongst staff and fathers?
Implementation Study Research Questions:
How do the program element approaches differ from business-as-usual approaches?
What did it take for providers to implement the interventions?
What was the fidelity to and quality of implementation of the program elements? How did this vary across sites?
What were the key supports and challenges in implementing the program elements?
How did fathers think and feel about the program?
How did staff think and feel about the intervention?
What organizational characteristics were present at each site that influenced the fidelity or quality of the interventions?
What community characteristics are present at each site that influenced the fidelity or quality of the interventions?
Study Design
The evaluation includes an implementation study and an impact study.
Phase 1 (Approved and In-Process; No Changes Proposed)
Phase 1 involves program participants and program staff and includes consent (Appendix #1), baseline survey (Instrument #1), a program information and management tool (Instrument #2), reflections from staff (Instrument #3), reflections from fathers (Instrument #4), and a Request to Update Contact Information (Instrument #5).
Phase 2 (Current Request)
This current request for Phase 2 data collections includes activities associated with the Fatherhood TIES implementation and impact studies. For implementation research, this includes:
Instrument #6 Staff Interview (including consent)
Instrument #7 Co-Parent Interview (including consent)
Instrument #8 Father Focus Group (including consent)
Instrument #9 Photo Voice Prompts, Consent and Release
Instrument #10 Audio Journaling Prompts, Consent, Release
Appendix #4 Photo Voice Training Slides
Appendix #5 Audio Journaling Training Slides
Appendix #6 Father Focus Groups Training Slides
Appendix #7 Photo Voice Training Guide
Appendix #8 Audio Journaling Training Guide
For the impact study this includes:
Instrument #11 Nine-Month Follow-Up Survey
Phase 1 and Phase 2 (No changes from previously approved justification)
The implementation study will describe who participated in fatherhood program services, how services operated, what fathers thought about the services, and the challenges staff members face implementing them. It aims to provide lessons for the field on key elements for successful program implementation and barriers to overcome when implementing these core components.
Phase 1 (Approved and In-Process; No Changes Proposed)
The impact study uses randomized controlled trials to rigorously evaluate whether promising core components can bring about positive outcomes for fathers and their families. Fathers who consent to the study are randomly assigned into a program group or a control group. Fathers in the program group have access to the individualized core components being tested in addition to the program’s business as usual programming. Fathers in the control group only have access to the program’s business as usual programming. Outcomes for fathers in each group will be compared to determine what effect the core components have on key measures such as parenting skills, parent-child relationship quality, time spent with child, father well-being, and economic stability. Fathers who are not randomly assigned into the program group receive typical fatherhood services and are placed on an embargo period of 9-months before they become eligible for TIES program elements.
Program applicants first complete a consent form (Appendix #1), which provides information on what it means to participate in Fatherhood TIES. Program staff conduct this process. Once consent is received, participants complete a baseline survey (Instrument #1). Fathers are asked to provide reflections about their program experience (Instrument #4) before they complete the program. Program staff record information about father’s participation in services using their standard documentation process and may use the TIES Table (Instrument #2) to support that effort.
Phase 2 (Current Request)
The Fatherhood TIES team will gather additional information about program implementation, how fathers apply what they learn from program services, and satisfaction with program services through a series of data collection activities described in this Phase 2 request: staff interviews (Instrument #6), discussions with co-parents (Instrument #7) and fathers (Instrument #8), photo voice (Instrument #9), and audio journaling (Instrument #10).
Also described in this Phase 2 request, a nine-month follow-up survey (Instrument #11) will be administered to all study enrollees to capture key measures that are considered primary outcomes or theorized moderators in the impact analysis including criminal legal system involvement, child support and establishment of paternity, parenting stress, parent-child relationship quality, and father depression and self-efficacy.
Table A1. Summary of Data Collection Activities for this Study
Other Data Sources and Uses of Information
Phase 1 and Phase 2 (Updates from previously approved justification)
In addition to the data collection activities detailed in Table A1, the study team will use other existing data sources.
nFORM. The Fatherhood TIES study team will use additional information from nFORM which was approved under OMB #0970-0566. This data source includes participant demographic information and information about service participation. This does not represent additional burden because it is already covered under OMB #0970-0566.
Programmatic records maintained by the Office of Family Assistance or their grant recipients. These data sources may include federal grant applications, existing program-specific documents provided by the Fatherhood TIES grant recipient organizations, or information from program provider websites.
The study team explored the possibility of requesting National Directory of New Hires (NDNH) records for individuals who enroll in the Fatherhood TIES study and provide their Social Security numbers to the study team. This data would provide information about fathers’ earnings and levels of employment between the time of study enrollment and nine months after enrollment. Since Phase 1 was approved, the Fatherhood TIES study team decided not to pursue NDNH records.
A3. Use of Information Technology to Reduce Burden
This study is using and will continue to use information technology, when possible, to minimize respondent burden and to collect data efficiently.
Phase 1 (Approved and In-Process; No changes from previously approved justification)
The study team incorporated the data collection activities detailed in the consent (Appendix #1) into the systems grant recipients currently use (nFORM). For example, consent is tracked in nFORM, which all five Fatherhood TIES grant recipient organizations are already required to use. Other activities such as the baseline survey for fathers (Instrument #1) are administered using a complementary electronic system (Qualtrics) with similar burden reduction supports. The study team explored the possibility of adding an audio component to Qualtrics so at least some portions of the survey could be completed using an audio computer aided self interview (ACASI) approach. The team determined it was not feasible to implement.
The Fatherhood TIES team tailors the program information and management tool (Instrument #2) to meet each program’s unique needs. In doing so, program staff are asked to enter only the information that is relevant to their program and the tested program component. Instrument #2 is designed with simple data entry requirements and fields and provides program staff with charts and data that is designed to deepen their understanding of the implementation of program services.
Finally, a simple electronic form collects reflections from program staff (Instrument #3) and fathers (Instrument #4) at each site once per cohort.
Phase 2 (Current Request)
If in-person data collection activities are not possible, the study team will use ZoomGov phone/video conferencing for staff and co-parent interviews and father focus groups (Instruments #6, #7, and #8).
Photo voice and audio journaling (Instruments #9 and #10) will leverage technology to be done fully remotely. Photo upload for photo voice will be done via Qualtrics, and audio recording upload for audio journaling can be done using the secure MDRC line via ZoomGov.
A4. Use of Existing Data: Efforts to reduce duplication, minimize burden, and increase utility and government efficiency
As detailed above, some data sources exist and others the study team has confirmed are not available in any other form in a consistent manner across the Fatherhood TIES grant recipient organizations. The following describes how the study team will minimize burden and increase utility and efficiency.
Phase 1 (Approved and In-Process; No changes from previously approved justification)
Integrating the Fatherhood TIES consent (Appendix #1) into the existing nFORM system and program enrollment process minimizes burden on staff and offers a seamless process to the fathers who are enrolling.
The TIES baseline survey (Instrument #1) is designed to minimize burden by only including questions that will improve the study team’s ability to detect impacts. Questions are administered through an electronic system and integrated into the existing enrollment processes to feel as seamless as possible to the respondent. Currently, the Applicant Characteristics Survey (part of the nFORM data collection approved under OMB #0970-0566) does not ask any questions about criminal justice involvement, and its questions on parenting and co-parenting are too broad to capture much variation in responses. Having the additional baseline information for participants on a set of more nuanced parenting and co-parenting measures will allow the study team to improve the statistical power of the study to detect variance in impacts.
The
TIES baseline data collection takes about 22 minutes and will provide
the study team with more power to explain the variability in its
outcomes of interest.
When possible, the study team will seek to embed questions from Instruments #3 and #4 (reflections from staff and fathers) into a program providers’ existing continuous quality improvement (CQI) or local evaluation efforts to avoid duplicating established feedback loops with program staff and program participants.
Phase 2 (Current Request)
The nature of implementation research is to collect information that is not available elsewhere. By using participatory research methods, Fatherhood TIES aims to be mutually beneficial to the study’s researchers and participants alike. Study participants will be trained in the participatory methods of photo voice and audio journaling, which will allow them to take on an active role in the study, as both participant and researcher. Data collection for participatory research involves more burden than standard data collection approaches (such as interviews) because of the need to train study participants on the process and research ethics.
To minimize burden, the study team will limit the number of fathers participating in focus groups (Instrument #8), photo voice (Instrument #9), and Audio Journaling (Instrument #10). The same is true for co-parent interviews (Instrument #7). No more than 60 fathers will participate in photo voice and audio journaling, and up to 4 co-parents for interview. By keeping these enrollment numbers low, burden is limited. Furthermore, the protocols have been streamlined to ensure that the content is relevant, and the response time is not more than necessary for the purpose and use of the data.
A5. Impact on Small Businesses
Phase 1 (Approved and In-Process; No changes from previously approved justification)
Most of the Fatherhood TIES grant recipient organizations in the study are small, non-profit organizations. Burden is minimized for staff by integrating the study consent (Appendix #1) into the existing nFORM system. Burden is minimized for respondents by restricting the number of baseline questions (Instrument #1) into a 22-minutes. A limited number of staff are responsible for adding information to the program information and management tool (Instrument #2) based on their role within the grant recipient. Burden is also limited by restricting the length of time required to respond to staff and father reflections (Instrument #3 and Instrument #4). Fatherhood TIES is also providing financial resources for each grant recipient to offset the costs of being involved in the study.
Phase 2 (Current Request)
Burden to staff participating in semi-structured interviews (Instrument #6) will be limited by only asking questions of each staff person that are applicable to them. The same is true for co-parent interviews (Instrument #7); also, these interviews will be limited to a small number of co-parents. A limited number of fathers will be asked to participate in focus groups (Instrument #8), photo voice (Instrument #9), and audio journaling (Instrument #10). Burden will be minimized by restricting the number of follow-up survey questions (Instrument #11) in a 45-minute survey.
A6. Consequences of Less Frequent Collection
Phase 1 (Approved and In-Process; No changes from previously approved justification)
The baseline survey (Instrument #1) reflects a one-time event. To the extent that Instruments #2 through #4 are used to collect information at multiple points in time for one respondent, less frequent data collection would result in the loss of somewhat real-time information about program operations and implementation.
Phase 2 (Current Request)
The follow-up survey (Instrument #11), co-parent interview (Instrument #7), and father focus groups (Instrument #8) reflect one-time events for participants.
Staff may be asked to participate in an interview (Instrument #6) at two points in time over the course of the study period. Less frequent data collection would result in loss of information about program operations and implementation, especially changes over time.
Photo voice (Instrument #9) and audio journaling (Instrument #10) will ask fathers to be trained on data collection procedures, upload three responses to prompts, and debrief with the study team. While this level of effort is more than other data collection activities, a less burdensome approach would result in the loss of specific information about the program’s effect on its participants’ lives.
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 has published notices in the Federal Register announcing the agency’s intention to request OMB’s review of these information collection activity.
Phase 1 (Approved; No changes from previously approved justification)
A notice specific to Phase 1 was published on August 25, 2023, (88 FR 47884) and provided a sixty-day period for public comment. During the notice and comment period, 1 comment was received. The commenter shared their thoughts about, and barriers associated with, non-custodial parents, child support, and father-child relationships. There were no comments made about utility, duplication, cost, or hour burden. The study team reviewed the comment and took it into consideration in intervention design conversations. The thirty-day period for public comment began on October 6, 2023 with a notice published in the Federal Register (88 FR 47884).
Phase 2 (Current Request)
ACF published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the agency’s intention to request an OMB review of Phase 2 data collection on May 24, 2024 (89 FR 45902) and provided a sixty-day period for public comment. During the notice and comment period, no comments were received.
Phase 1 (Approved and In-Process; No changes from previously approved justification)
Experts outside of the study team were consulted for advice about study design issues, including about core components the study team should explore testing. These conversations were designed to inform research design decisions only. The team met with a range of experts – fatherhood program staff and practitioners, participants with lived experience and academics with extensive experience in core component methodologies or who have experience in relevant fields such as programming for fathers, healthy relationships or workforce development – in individual and small group conversations.
Phase 2 (Current Request)
Experts outside of the study team were consulted for advice about study design issues, including those reflected in this second Phase. The team met with a range of experts – fatherhood program staff and practitioners, participants with lived experience and academics with extensive experience in programming for fathers – in individual and small group conversations to inform study design choices.
A9. Tokens of Appreciation
Each of the five Fatherhood TIES grant recipient organizations study locations is expected to enroll 600 participants into the study.
Phase 1 (Approved and In-Process; No changes from previously approved justification)
Each participant is invited to consent to participating in Fatherhood TIES (Appendix #1) and to take the baseline survey (Instrument #1). As a token of appreciation, study participants receive a $25 gift card for completing the consent and the baseline survey. There are three reasons a token of appreciation is being provided for baseline survey completion. First, to improve the likelihood that someone will agree to participate in the study and complete the baseline survey. To ensure adequate statistical power for detecting likely program effects, it is essential to have large enough samples in each study location and do whatever possible to encourage study participation. Modest gifts associated with baseline survey data collection can make it easier for program staff to meet enrollment targets. Research has shown that respondent payments are effective at increasing response rates across a wide variety of populations, including some similar to the expected Fatherhood TIES enrollees (Abdelazeem et al. 2023). Second, to show study participants that the study team appreciates their participation in data collection activities and offset any incidental costs of participation. The time needed to complete the consent and baseline survey is about 22 minutes; this is in addition to the standard intake processes already in place. A $25 gift card may offset the opportunity cost associated with taking this extra time to complete these activities (e.g., parenting time or work responsibilities). Third, the token of appreciation after completing the baseline survey may serve to reduce attrition in follow up activities such as the nine-month follow-up survey. In longitudinal studies, providing a token for earlier surveys may contribute to higher response rates for subsequent surveys (Singer and Ye 2013). Data quality will be improved by the increased number of people participating in future study activities. We believe this is a reasonable amount for the time associated with signing up for the study but is not so high as to appear coercive for potential participants.
Fathers who complete short reflection surveys are eligible to receive a token of appreciation for responding. This $5 is provided via electronic gift cards.
One month after an individual enrolls, the father receives a welcome packet in the mail. The welcome packet includes a $5 gift card as a token of appreciation for being in the study. Including a pre-token is a methodological approach that has been shown to help build better response rates to tracking mailings and to help build a rapport with participants which ultimately helps increase response rates to follow-up data collection (Singer, Van Hoewyk, Maher 2000; Singer et al. 1999; Cantor, O’Hare, and O’Connor 2008). Abt Global, the subcontractor, used this approach for surveys that were part of the Building Bridges and Bonds Evaluation (OMB Control Number 0970-0485) by including a study magnet and $2 with the welcome letter. Since the TIES welcome letter includes a request to update contact information, the team is using the welcome gift card to begin building a good relationship with study participants as well as increasing the response to the tracking request.
Table A2. Approved amounts associated with research activities described in Phase 1
Research Activity |
Token of Appreciation Amount |
Time Commitment |
When |
Study entry/baseline survey completion |
$25 |
22 min |
At enrollment |
Welcome packet and Request to Update contact information (from Abt) |
$5 |
10 min |
One month after enrollment |
Completing father reflection forms (IR) |
$5 |
15 min |
At the end of each cohort |
Phase 2 (Current Request)
There are multiple opportunities for study participants to engage in data collection activities outlined in this Phase 2 submission. See Table #A3. Data collection for participatory research often involves more burden than standard data collection approaches (such as interviews) because the need to train study participants on the process and research ethics adds additional time essential to the interactive nature of these studies. The proposed token of appreciation amounts for Phase 2 are set relative to the commitment required of each activity and to acknowledge the fathers’ commitment to being involved, and in some cases to acknowledge the participant-researcher’s unique role, expertise, and contributions to photo voice and audio journaling. The tokens of appreciation also account for incidental expenses such as transportation and/or childcare that might otherwise prevent their participation in the study. The token amounts outlined below are reasonable for the amount of effort and cost associated with each activity but is not so high as to appear coercive for potential participants. Note that while several activities (focus groups, photo voice, audio journaling) will be implemented at multiple points in time, fathers will not be asked to participate more than once in any activity. Furthermore, fathers who participate in audio journaling will not be eligible to participate in photo voice.
The goal of the following proposed amounts, in conjunction with other outreach and recruitment efforts (See SSB, section B4 and B5), is to improve participation numbers and ultimately data quality. Amounts are based on prior experience with similar data collection efforts, as described below.
Focus groups of Fathers. Fathers will receive $50 for participating in a 60-minute focus group. This token amount was set to reach the goal of 80 focus group participants. In MDRC’s previous random assignment study, Building Bridges and Bonds (OMB Control Number 0970-0485), researchers offered $20 to fathers to complete 60-minute focus groups with the goal of having 160 participants. Researchers only engaged 53 fathers in focus groups, one-third of the intended number. See Brennan, Barden, Elkin, and Bickerton 2021; Manno, Harknett, Sarfo, and Bickerton 2021. In combination with other efforts (see SSB, section B4 and B5), it is expected that the increased amount will result in the greater likelihood of reaching the interview goal.
Co-parent interviews. Co-parents of fathers engaged in Fatherhood TIES will receive $50 for participating in a 60-minute interview. This token amount was set to reach the goal of interviewing four co-parents. In MDRC’s previous random assignment study, Building Bridges and Bonds (OMB Control Number 0970-0485), researchers offered $20 to co-parents to complete a 60-minute interview with the goal of interviewing 80 co-parents. Researchers engaged only 10 co-parents, about 12 percent of the intended number. See Manno, Harknett, Sarfo, and Bickerton 2021. In combination with other efforts (see SSB, section B4 and B5), it is expected that the increased amount will result in the greater likelihood of reaching the interview goal.
Nine-month Follow-Up Survey. Fathers will receive $30 for completing a 45-minute survey approximately nine months following random assignment. Tokens of appreciation have been shown to be a key tool for fatherhood programs in terms of motivating recruitment, ongoing participation, and completion of feedback and follow-up surveys (Vecere, 2024; Menegay & Freedner, 2024; Cryer-Coupet et al., 2023). For surveys, providing a monetary token of appreciation fits into the social exchange theory of survey response by instilling a sense of reciprocity with participants and counteracting the perceived burden of the survey ask (Dillman, Smyth, & Christian 2014). Meta-analyses have shown tokens of appreciation are effective at encouraging survey response (Singer & Ye 2013), with monetary tokens of appreciation being more effective than other types (Abdelazeem et al. 2023) and tokens of appreciation being an important way for encouraging response from people with lower incomes (Baron et al. 2009).
Photo voice. There are four components to participating in photo voice and each component has a different token of appreciation assigned to it. Fathers are eligible for up to $300 total for participating. Fathers will receive $100 for participation in a 2-hour training, $25 for each photo they share (maximum of $75 possible), $75 for participating in a 90-minute focus group or interview, and $50 for participating in a final 60-minute analysis debrief. This is a newer research method and there are not directly relevant experimental or other literature to justify the amounts at the intersection of the Fatherhood TIES study design, subpopulation, type of information requested, and amount proposed. These tokens of appreciation are intended to recognize the valuable and unique expertise of each father as well as to motivate recruitment, ongoing participation, and completion of all components of photo voice.
Audio journaling. There are three components to participating in audio journaling and each component has a different token of appreciation assigned to it. Fathers are eligible for up to $125 for participating. Fathers will receive $25 for participating in a 30-minute training, $25 for each audio file they share (maximum of $75 possible), and $25 for a 30-minute debrief. This is a newer research method and there are not directly relevant experimental or other literature to justify the amounts at the intersection of the Fatherhood TIES study design, subpopulation, type of information requested, and amount proposed. These tokens of appreciation are intended to recognize the valuable and unique expertise of each father as well as to motivate recruitment, ongoing participation, and completion of all components of photo voice.
Table
A3. Proposed amounts for research activities described in Phase 2
(Current Request)
Research Activity |
Token of Appreciation Amount |
Time Commitment |
When |
Focus Groups of fathers |
|
|
Once per father, at 12 months after study start |
Photo voice |
|
|
Once per father, 15 months after study start |
Audio Journaling |
|
|
Once per father, for each cohort randomly assigned to the program group at sites testing engagement supports. Once for fathers at 12 months after intervention start for sites testing parenting coaching and system navigation |
Co-parent interviews |
|
|
Once per co-parent, at 15 months after study start |
9-month follow up survey |
|
|
Once per father 9-months after enrollment |
Maximum Potential Token of Appreciation and Time Commitment |
$80 - $380 depending on activities participated in |
1.75 hours - 6 hours |
|
A10. Privacy: Procedures to protect privacy of information, while maximizing data sharing
Personally Identifiable Information
Phase 1 and Phase 2 (Approved and In-Process; Updates from previously approved justification)
Since information associated with consent is being collected through the existing nFORM system, Fatherhood TIES will primarily use existing practices to protect privacy of information as approved in OMB #0970-0566. Using nFORM, all Fatherhood FIRE grant recipient programs collect personally identifiable information (PII) from clients including clients’ first and last names, contact information (telephone number, home and email addresses, and social media information), and personal characteristics. The contact information will be used for the purpose of follow-up survey administration (Instrument #11). The nFORM system is designed for Fatherhood FIRE grant recipient organizations to conduct client case management and track services and outcomes for individual clients. ACF provides guidelines for protecting PII. Only nFORM contractor staff responsible for ensuring data quality have access to PII; limiting the number of contractor staff with access to PII reduces the risk of disclosure.
Since approval of Phase 1, the Fatherhood TIES study team decided not to pursue NDNH data and therefore is not collecting Social Security Numbers for individuals agreeing to participate in the study, as originally proposed.
The project team will store all data files, including all data files, notes, audio recordings, or other media with or without personally identifiable information (PII), in the FedRAMP-certified cloud-based environment. Social Policy Research and Operations Unified Technology (SPROUT) is MDRC’s FedRAMP-certified cloud-based environment. The data will be stored in this secure location as they will be collected, processed, and analyzed during the project life. Only those staff with need will have access to these files. Restricted Access Files will also be developed and finalized for transmission to the data archive in SPROUT. Data that contains identifiable information is not eligible for archive and will be destroyed.
The program information and management tool (Instrument #2) does not request PII.
Phase 2 (Current Request)
The follow-up survey data will be collected by Abt Global using Abt’s Data Collection Platform (DCP). The DCP leverages industry-leading Confirmit (Forsta) software as its primary software tool. It incorporates multiple modes of data collection, including Computer Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI), Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI), In-Person Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI). The platform also supports SMS texting for reminders and as a direct survey mode. As a multi-mode solution, Abt’s DCP integrates all processes from survey design and hosting to sample management and data collection to formatting and data processing, thus reducing programming and data processing time and maximizing data quality by limiting the risk of error. All aspects of Abt’s DCP and Data Collection and Analytic Computing Environment (DC-ACE) are built and maintained on Amazon Web Services (AWS). The DC-ACE environment is highly secure and meets Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) Moderate security and compliance standards. AWS addresses the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) security control requirements that are aligned to the National Institute of Standards (NIST) 800-53, Rev. 4 Security control baseline for Moderate impact levels. Access to the data will be restricted to only authorized users working with the follow-up survey data. Abt Global uses the FedRAMP-compliant data-sharing tool Cerberus for sharing data. The follow-up survey response data will be shared with MDRC either using Cerberus, or Box, the MDRC FedRAMP-compliant data-sharing system.
Assurances of Privacy
Phase 1 (Approved and In-Process; No changes from previously approved justification)
Information collected will be kept private to the extent permitted by law. Respondents will be informed of all planned uses of data, that their participation is voluntary, and that their information will be kept private. As specified in the contract, the Contractor will comply with all Federal and Departmental regulations for private information.
At least some of the information collected as part of this request will likely be retrieved by an individual’s personal identifier in a way that triggers the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a). The system of records notice (SORN) for this collection will be 09-8-0-0361, OPRE Research and Evaluation Project Records. Each individual will be provided with information that complies with 552a(e)(3) prior to requesting information that will be placed into that system of records. This means respondents will receive information about the authority, the purposes for use, the routine uses, that the request is voluntary, and any effects of not providing the requested information.
Due to the sensitive nature of this research (see A.11 for more information), the evaluation obtained a Certificate of Confidentiality to assure participants that their information will be kept private to the fullest extent permitted by law.
This study received a full committee review from MDRC’s IRB and was approved with conditions on December 7, 2022. The expiration date of the IRB approval is December 7, 2023. The study team received IRB approval on July 17, 2023 for the materials covered in this document – consent (Appendix #1), baseline survey (Instrument #1), program information and management tool (Instrument #2), and reflections from staff and fathers (Instruments #3 and #4). The IRB approval is included as Appendix #2.
Phase 2 (Current Request)
The third IRB approval on December 7, 2023 detailed consent processes and the nine-month follow up survey. The third IRB approval is included as Appendix #10. The fourth IRB submission, approved April 30, 2024, focuses on additional data collection activities associated with the Fatherhood TIES implementation study such as interviews, focus groups, audio journaling, and photo voice. The fourth IRB approval is included as Appendix #11.
Co-facilitation of father focus groups allows for a former program participant (now advisor) to take on a unique role in the research. Father focus group co-facilitators will be trained on principles of human subjects research and will work alongside a member of the Fatherhood TIES (MDRC) study team who will co-facilitate and collect data. To minimize risk, only the Fatherhood TIES study team member will manage PII, for example incentive or contact information for focus group attendees.
Audio journaling is an auditory participatory research approach in which fathers will be asked to make audio recordings in response to a weekly prompt about how they are applying knowledge and skills gained through their participation in the fatherhood program over a three-week period. For audio journaling, participants will attend a training which covers key points of human subjects’ research ethics as well as method-specific procedures (Appendix #5 and #8). Participants will handle their own data and record their audio journal entries directly to an MDRC voice mail box set up on ZoomGov that only select research team members have access to.
Photo voice is another participatory research approach; fathers will be asked to take pictures in response to a weekly prompt. Participants will first attend a training which covers key points of human subjects’ research ethics as well as method-specific procedures (Appendix #4 and #7). Fathers will upload photos to a secure Qualtrics location once a week for three weeks that only select study team members have access to.
Data Security and Monitoring
Phase 1 (Approved and In-Process; No changes from previously approved justification)
The baseline survey (Instrument #1), reflection from staff (Instrument #3) and reflection from fathers (Instrument #4) are administered using Qualtrics, a FedRAMP compliant data collection platform. Response files are stored in MDRC’s FedRAMP-certified cloud-based environment.
The study team shall protect respondent privacy and will comply with all Federal and Departmental regulations for private information. The study team developed and will continue to update a Data Security Plan that assesses the data security technologies, protocols, and protections that will be used to protect respondents’ PII and their sensitive information. Specifically, the Data Security Plan includes a detailed description of the type and nature of the data collected, data storage protocols, data collection and transfer protections, data disposition protocols, and data incident reporting and response.
The Contractor holds an ATO at the moderate impact level from HHS and the FedRAMP Program Management Office (PMO). MDRC’s FedRAMP Application Number is FR1902240018. All required documentation supporting MDRC’s accreditation is uploaded and available for reference on the OMB MAX portal. MDRC continues to upload information monthly as part of the ongoing continuous monitoring of their FedRAMP accredited system, SPROUT. MDRC is subject to an annual audit and review conducted by an independent accredited external audit organization. Documented policies, procedures, plans, and security controls are carefully reviewed to ensure that MDRC follows NIST 800-53 guidelines and industry best practices. In accordance with HHS data security standards, the project team will store datafiles including PII and other controlled unclassified information (CUI) in the FedRAMP-certified cloud-based environment, SPROUT.
Security procedures described in the Data Security Plan include the following: access to information on a need-to-know basis, multi-factor authentication to login to MDRC network, end-to-end encryption, in-transit and at-rest, using TLS 1.2 or later 256-bit encryption. Other data security protocols include: employee nondisclosure agreements and annual data security training, cyber defense infrastructure, and strict policies for responding to data security incidents.
The Contractor shall ensure that all 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 data security requirements as specified in the Data Security Plan.
Phase 2 (Current Request)
All files associated with data collection (such as notes, audio recordings, pictures, or other media) will be stored in MDRC’s FedRAMP-certified cloud-based environment. For father focus groups (Instrument #8), all PII will be handled by a MDRC research team co-facilitator. Fathers will share photo voice (Instrument #9) photos using Qualtrics, a FedRAMP compliant data collection platform. Fathers will record their audio journal responses (Instrument #10) to a secure ZoomGov 1-800 line set up by MDRC.
MDRC will share the names, phone numbers, email addresses, and basic demographics of the potential follow up survey participants with Abt Global via a secure file transfer site on a regular basis. This information will be used to locate fathers and schedule with them a time to administer the follow-up survey about 9 months after their enrollment date. Contact information will be shared with Abt via Box, a FedRAMP compliant data sharing system. Box is a cloud-based collaboration and file transfer solution that MDRC uses to securely transfer data between MDRC and its partners. Box encrypts transmission (via TLS 1.2 or later protection) and at-rest. It offers a convenient means of uploading and downloading files via a web browser. Only the individual(s) at Abt Global who need to access this information will be given access to Box folder including contact information.
A11. Sensitive Information3
Phase 1 (Approved and In-Process; Updates from previously approved justification)
Fatherhood TIES is no longer planning to pursue NDNH data, therefore social security numbers will not be requested. Some of the baseline survey questions (Instrument #1) may be sensitive for study participants. Individuals are asked about their current or previous involvement in the criminal justice system and about their mental health, including depression and psychological distress. Other questions cover the father’s discipline practices, frequency of his contact with his children and frequency of co-parenting conflicts. These questions are necessary to gain more knowledge about fathers’ lived experiences, especially regarding parenting and co-parenting. As noted in section A4, this information will not be available from other data sources. There is no sensitive information associated with Instruments #2 through #4.
Across all data collection, respondents will be informed by research staff prior to the start of the interviews or surveys that their answers will be kept private, that results will only be reported in the aggregate, and that their responses will not affect any services or benefits they or their family members receive.
At the point of enrollment in the study, the informed consent (Appendix #1) provides an overview of data collection efforts to expect during the study. Staff obtaining consent from participants are trained to answer questions about what it means to participate in the study.
Table A4. Data Sources, Consent, and PII for Phase 1 (Approved and In-Process)
Data source |
Subject Groups |
Consent or Waiver? (If waiver, specify type) |
PII |
Start of data collection |
Period for which data is collected |
Fatherhood program participation data from nFORM (performance measures data collection system) |
Fathers |
Consent |
Yes |
January 2024 |
Through September 2025 |
Additional baseline questions |
Fathers |
Consent |
Yes |
January 2024 |
Through September 2025 |
Staff site reflections |
Staff |
Consent |
No |
January 2024 |
Through September 2025 |
Reflections from fathers |
Father |
Consent |
No |
January 2024 |
Through September 2025 |
Observation tool |
Staff |
Verbal Consent |
No |
January 2024 |
Through September 2025 |
TIES Table Template |
Fathers |
Consent |
Yes |
January 2024 |
Through September 2025 |
Phase 2 (Current Request)
In response to questions asked during interviews or focus groups, staff, fathers or co-parents may divulge sensitive information to the interviewee though it will be made clear that they are welcome to pass on answering any question they do not wish to.
Across all data collection, respondents will be informed by research staff prior to the start of the interviews or surveys that their answers will be kept private, that results will only be reported in the aggregate, and that their responses will not affect any services or benefits they or their family members receive.
Table A5. Data Sources, Consent, and PII for Phase 2 (Current Request)
Data source |
Subject Groups |
Consent or Waiver? (If waiver, specify type) |
PII |
Start of data collection4 |
Period for which data is collected |
Staff interviews |
Staff |
Verbal Consent |
Yes |
October 2024 |
Through September 2025 |
Father focus groups |
Fathers |
Verbal Consent |
Yes |
October 2024 |
Through September 2025 |
Co-parent interviews |
Co-parent |
Verbal Consent |
Yes |
June 2025 |
Through September 2025 |
Photo voice |
Fathers |
Consent |
Yes |
June 2025 |
Through September 2025 |
Audio journaling |
Fathers |
Consent |
Yes |
October 2024 |
Through September 2025 |
9-month Follow Up Survey |
Fathers |
Consent |
No |
October 2025 |
Through September 2026 |
A12. Burden
Explanation of Burden Estimates
Phase 1 (Approved and In-Process; No Changes Proposed)
Table A6 shows the annual burden for activities currently approved for Phase 1. The team aims to consent 3,000 Fatherhood TIES program participants into the study (Appendix #1). Consent is conducted by up to 4 staff members at each Fatherhood TIES grant recipient for a total of 20 staff. Each consent takes about 10 minutes to complete and this recordkeeping burden is accounted for in the table below. Likewise, the team aims to have each of the 3,000 Fatherhood TIES consenters complete the baseline survey (Instrument #1) which takes about 22 minutes to complete. The team will ask all Fatherhood TIES consenters to respond to a short reflection survey about their experiences (Instrument #4) takes about 15 minutes. During the study period, 20 program staff use the program information and management tool (Instrument #2) to document information about the planned and actual delivery of the intervention an estimated 80 times at 5 minutes each time, and 37 staff will be asked to respond to a reflection survey (Instrument #3) up to 8 times each (for 15 minutes each time) to share their thoughts about intervention implementation. Study enrollment is expected to take place over 21 months.
Phase 2 (Current Request)
Table A7. shows the annual burden for Phase 2 activities described in this supporting statement. An estimated 50 staff will be interviewed two times over the study period (Instrument #6) for about 1 hour each time. An expected four co-parents (Instrument #7) will be interviewed once for about 1 hour. Approximately 80 fathers will participate in one focus group (Instrument #8) each lasting about one hour.
Participation in photo voice (Instrument #9) will require 5.25 hours for five participants. This time is divided into the following: it starts with a 2-hour training, then participants will be asked to spend 15 minutes per week for 3 weeks taking and sharing their photos. At the end of this 3-week period, there will be a 90-minute focus group or interview, and a 60-minute debrief following the analysis of study photos.
Participation in audio journaling (Instrument #10) will require 1.5 hours for 55 participants. This time is divided into the following: it starts with a 30-minute training, then participants will be asked to spend 10 minutes per week for 3 weeks taking and sharing their audio recordings. At the end of this 3-week period, there will be a 30-minute debrief following the analysis of study audio recordings.
Photo voice (Appendix 4), audio journaling (Appendix 5), and father focus groups (Appendix 6) involve training in data collection and human subject’s rules. Training guides that accompany the training slides are attached as Appendix #7 (photo voice) and Appendix #8 (audio journaling). The time associated with this training is listed separately in the burden calculations.
The nine-month follow-up survey (Instrument #11) is expected to have 1369 respondents and will take approximately 45 minutes to complete.
Estimated Annualized Cost to Respondents
Phase 1 (Approved and In-Process; Updated)
The assumed wage rate is based on the May 2023 employment wages from Occupational Employment Statistics survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The rate used for staff involved in the consent process is $28.36, is equivalent to the mean hourly wage for community and social service occupations under SOC code 21-0000. The rate used for program applicants, $23.11, is the May 2023 median wage across all occupations in the United States (see https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#00-0000).
Table A6. Annual Burden for Phase 1 Activities
Instrument |
Respondent |
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 |
Consent for those over 18 years old |
Staff (Record- keeping) |
20 |
188 |
.167 |
628 |
251 |
$28.36 |
$7,123.12 |
Baseline survey |
Applicant |
3,000 |
1 |
.367 |
1101 |
440 |
$23.11 |
$10,177.64
|
Program Information and management tool (TIES Table) |
Staff |
20 |
80 |
.083 |
133 |
53 |
$28.36 |
$1,512.53 |
Reflection |
Staff |
37 |
8 |
.250 |
74 |
30 |
$28.36 |
$839.46 |
Reflection |
Participant |
3,000 |
1 |
.250 |
750 |
300 |
$23.11 |
$6,933.00 |
Contact Update |
Participant |
3,000 |
1 |
.167 |
501 |
200 |
$23.11 |
$4,631.24 |
Estimated Annual Burden Total |
3,187 |
1,274 |
|
$31,217.00 |
||||
Phase 2 (Current Request)
Table A7. Annual Burden for Phase 2 Activities – Current Request
Instrument |
Respondent |
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 |
Staff Interview (including consent) |
Staff |
50 |
2 |
1 |
100 |
40 |
$28.36 |
$1,134.40 |
Co-Parent Interview (including consent) |
Co-Parent |
4 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
$23.11 |
$36.98 |
Father focus group (including consent) |
Father |
80 |
1 |
1 |
80 |
32 |
$23.11 |
$739.52 |
Photo Voice (collection + focus group + debrief) |
Father |
5 |
1 |
3.25 |
16 |
7 |
$23.11 |
$150.22 |
Audio Journaling (collection + debrief) |
Father |
55 |
1 |
1 |
55 |
22 |
$23.11 |
$508.42 |
Nine-month Follow-up survey |
Father |
1369 |
1 |
0.75 |
1,027 |
411 |
$23.11 |
$9,489.54 |
Photo Voice Training |
Father |
5 |
1 |
2 |
10 |
4 |
$23.11 |
$92.44 |
Audio Journaling Training |
Father |
55 |
1 |
1 |
55 |
22 |
$23.11 |
$508.42 |
Estimated Annual Burden Total |
1,347 |
540 |
|
$12,659.93 |
||||
A13. Costs
Phase 1 and Phase 2 (No changes from previously approved justification)
There are no additional costs to respondents. We are not proposing honoraria.
A14. Estimated Annualized Costs to the Federal Government
The annual estimated costs for data collection under both Phase 1 and Phase 2 include labor costs for staff associated with field work/data collection, data processing and analysis, expenses, such as software for supporting the administration of the instruments, which would not have been incurred without this collection of the instruments. Costs have been annualized over 2.5 years, reflecting a request for approval through March 2027. The total annual costs for Phase 1 and Phase 2 activities over the next 2.5 years is $3,792,878.
Phase 1 and Phase 2 (Updates from previously approved justification)
The following table outlines the annual costs associated with Phase 1 and Phase 2 over the next 2.5 years.
Table A.8. Estimated Annualized Costs to the Federal Government for Phase 1 and 2 Activities
Cost Category |
Estimated Costs for Phase 1 Activities |
Estimated Costs for Phase 2 Activities |
Total Estimated Costs |
Data Collection |
$768,879 |
$5,488,390 |
$6,257,269 |
Analysis |
$526,672 |
$1,855,259 |
$2,381,931 |
Dissemination |
$290,302 |
$552,692 |
$842,994 |
Total costs over the request period |
$1,585,853 |
$7,896,341 |
$9,482,194 |
Annual costs |
$634,341 |
$3,158,536 |
$3,792,878 |
A15. Reasons for changes in burden
This Phase 2 data collection request represents a change in burden to include all data collection activities associated with the Fatherhood TIES implementation and impact studies. Previously approved data collection activities for Phase 1 are currently ongoing.
A16. Timeline
Phase 1 and Phase 2 (No changes from previously approved justification)
Fatherhood TIES launched Phase 1 in January 2024, after OMB approval. Phase 2 is expected to begin in October 2024, pending OMB approval. Study enrollment is expected to last 21 months. The team is scheduled to finalize the final report in December 2026. The contract will end in June 2027.
A17. Exceptions
Phase 1 and Phase 2 (No changes from previously approved justification)
No exceptions are necessary for this information collection.
Attachments
Phase 1 (Approved and In-Process; No changes from previously approved justification)
Instrument #1 – TIES Baseline Survey
Instrument #2 – TIES Table Template
Instrument #3 – TIES Reflection from Staff
Instrument #4 – TIES Reflection from Fathers
Appendix #1 – TIES Consent Materials for Fathers
Appendix #2 – IRB Approval
Phase 2 (Current Request)
Instrument #6 Staff Interview (including consent)
Instrument #7 Co-Parent Interview (including consent)
Instrument #8 Father Focus Group (including consent)
Instrument #9 Photo Voice Prompts, Consent and Release
Instrument #10 Audio Journaling Prompts, Consent, Release
Instrument #11 Nine-month Follow-Up Survey
Appendix #4 Photo Voice Training Slides
Appendix #5 Audio Journaling Training Slides
Appendix #6 Father Focus Groups Training Slides
Appendix #7 Photo Voice Training Guide
Appendix #8 Audio Journaling Training Guide
Appendix #9 Father Focus Groups Training Guide
Appendix #10 IRB Submission 3 Approval Letter
Appendix #11 IRB Submission 4 Approval Letter
References
Abdelazeem B, Hamdallah A, Rizk MA, Abbas KS, El-Shahat NA, et al. (2023) Does usage of monetary incentive impact the involvement in surveys? A systematic review and meta-analysis of 46 randomized controlled trials. PLOS ONE 18(1): e0279128. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0279128
Baron, J.D., Breunig, R.V., Cobb-Clark, D., Gorgens, T., & Sartbayeva, A. (2009). Does the effect of incentive payments on survey response rates differ by income support history? Journal of Official Statistics, 25(4), 483-507.
Brennan, Emily, Bret Barden, Sam Elkin, and Annie Bickerton. 2021. Preparing Fathers for Employment: Findings from the B3 Study of a Cognitive Behavioral Program. OPRE Report 2021-167. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Cantor, David, Barbara O’Hare, and Kathleen O’Connor. 2008. The Use of Monetary Incentives to Reduce Nonresponse in Random Digit Dial Telephone Surveys. Advances in Telephone Survey Methodology, eds. Lepkowski James M., Tucker Clyde, Brick J. Michael, de Leeuw Edith, Japec Lilli, Lavrakas Paul J., Link Michael W., Sangster Roberta L., 471–98. New York, NY: Wiley.
Cryer-Coupet, Q.R., Gibson, S.M. (2023). Engaging Fathers in Research and Evaluation. In: Bellamy, J.L., Lemmons, B.P., Cryer-Coupet, Q.R., Shadik, J.A. (eds) Social Work Practice with Fathers. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13686-3_5.
Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D., & Christian, L. M. (2014). Internet, phone, mail, and mixed mode surveys: The tailored design method (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Manno, Michelle S., Kristen Harknett, Bright Sarfo, and Annie Bickerton. 2021. Children and Fathers Bonding: Findings from the B3 Study of the Just Beginning Parenting Program. OPRE Report 2021132. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Menegay, M. & Freedner, N. (2024). Engaging fathers: Lessons learned from the Ohio Fatherhood Survey. Paper presented at the 2024 American Association for Public Opinion Research Conference. Atlanta, GA.
Singer, E., and Cong Ye. 2013. The Use and Effects of Incentives in Surveys. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 645(1), 112-141.
Singer, P. A., Douglas K. Martin, and Merrijoy Kelner. 1999. Quality End-of-Life Care: Patients' Perspectives. JAMA, 281(2), 163–168.
Singer, E., John Van Hoewyk, & Mary P. Maher. 2000. Experiments with Incentives in Telephone Surveys. Public Opinion Quarterly, 64(2), 171–188.
Vecere, E. (2024). Harnessing the power of incentives to recruit and retain dads. National Fatherhood Initiative. Accessed May 30, 2024 from https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/incentives-to-recruit-and-retain-dads.
1 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ofa/programs/healthy-marriage/responsible-fatherhood
2 Ibid.
3 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.
4 Dates dependent on OMB approval.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Hjelm, Rebecca (ACF) |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2024-07-30 |