Rethinking Child Welfare Investigations Project

We want to hear your story

Purpose of the research project

Children’s Trust Fund Alliance is part of this research project, along with the funders – Annie E. Casey Foundation, Stand Together Foundation and Aviv Foundation. The information that you provide will help inform their investments in improving the child welfare system.

To learn more, please view the video.

Overview of the interview process

If you agree to participate in this research study, here’s what to expect:

• Complete the information form: You will be asked to complete an information form with some basic information about you and your family, such as your gender, the year you were involved with the child welfare system, the state in which that involvement took place.
• Schedule your interview: You will receive instructions for how to schedule your interview.
• The interview: You will be provided with a zoom link for your interview. You can choose to participate in the interview with your camera on or off an by using your computer or your telephone. If you don’t have internet access, you can call into the zoom meeting on your telephone.
  • The interview will take about an hour to an hour and a half, and we’ll talk about your experience with CPS. For example, how you were initially informed that there would be an investigation, what your interactions were like with the social workers and other officials and what happened because of the investigation.
  • Your interview will be conducted by a Birth Parent National Network (BPNN) parent who also has had experience with the child welfare system. Another adult will serve as a note-taker.
  • The interview will be recorded, and an audio transcript will be created. All information and materials will be kept confidential. Your name will not be connected to any information that you provide.
• Follow-up to the interview: After the interview, the interviewer will ask if you would like to be contacted in the following days to check in on you. If you would like this follow-up, you will receive a phone call from an Alliance representative.
• Honorarium: After the interview is conducted, you will receive a check in the mail for $100 from the Alliance in appreciation for your contribution to the research project. Please be sure to provide your best mailing address on the information form.
• Child Care: If you have children/youth in your home and need a private space to participate in your interview, we can provide $20 in support for you to pay a childcare provider.

Confidentiality

Whatever you tell the project team will be kept as confidential as possible. Your name will not be used in any reports or publications resulting from the study. The recording, transcripts and notes from the interview will be stored without your name or any identifying information. Project team will only see identifying information if they need it to schedule or conduct the interview or provide you with payment. After the project is completed, the information will be destroyed.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the research study, please contact the Alliance at research@ctfalliance.org

Thank You

Thank you for participating in this research project and sharing your experiences with child protective services. We appreciate your time, and will share our findings with you.

If you’re not a member of the BPNN, please consider joining this dynamic group because together we can make a difference. The BPNN holds Caring Conversations every Monday, quarterly webinars and an annual virtual convening. Learn more about the BPNN HERE or click on the button below to join.

Join the BPNN