Item 3- Austin's Families With Young Children QoL Study update — original pdf

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Quality of Life Study for Austin's Families with Young Children May 14, 2025 Update Providing High Quality Research, Evaluation, & Technical Assistance for Making Informed & Equitable Decisions RESEARCH • EVALUATION • SURVEYS • TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE www.dir-online.com Agenda • Introductions • Study Design • Current Activities • Timeline/Next steps • Questions Introductions RESEARCH • EVALUATION • SURVEYS • TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE www.dir-online.com Our Team Tiara N. Jackson, PhD Project Director Sylvia R. Epps, PhD Equity Advisor Kathy Buek, PhD Quantitative Lead Simone Jackson, PhD Qualitative Lead Tiffany Ricks, PhD Community Engagement Lead Tiffany Ricks, PhD Background: • PhD in Nursing, University of Texas at Austin (2013) • 10+ years of experience in research, evaluation and policy work • Certified MEASURE Educator for MEASURE Austin Areas of Expertise: • Equitable and culturally-responsive evaluation • Community activism & collaboration • Qualitative/mixed-method research Study Design RESEARCH • EVALUATION • SURVEYS • TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE www.dir-online.com Mixed-Methods Approach Landscape Analysis Focus Groups Caregiver Survey Interviews and family well-being. . Theoretical Framework Equity & Other Contextual Factors Community Resource & Supports Socioeconomic Need Caregiver Mental Health Quality of Life Adapted from the Family Stress Model: • Explains how stressors like poverty impact family function • Links parental stress to child and family well-being • Highlights pathways of risk and resilience in families. • Guides targeted support and intervention efforts Research Questions 1. What are the key social and economic challenges and needs affecting quality of life for families with young children? 2. How do the needs and resources of families differ by demographic characteristics and geography? 3. How do families perceive and experience the impact of institutional policies, practices, and resource allocation on their quality of life? 4. What do families perceive as the power dynamics and differentials in Austin? Current Activities RESEARCH • EVALUATION • SURVEYS • TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE www.dir-online.com Community Outreach & Engagement • Conducting direct outreach to local organizations • Engaging potential participants about their interest in the study and potential study topics • Attending local events to promote the study Community Outreach & Engagement • Community Organizations • El Buen, United Way, Family Connects, Black Men’s Health Clinic, AVANCE, Texas Association of Promotores & Community Health Workers, UT Austin School of Nursing, Austin Urban League and others • Events • Dinner & Learn with Austin Urban League (3/27) • Citywide Maternal Health Equity Collaborative Meeting (4/3) • Central TX Food is Medicine Summit (4/11) • Black Maternal Health Fair (4/12) Community Outreach & Engagement Lessons Learned • To date, only English and Spanish have been requested; no additional language needs identified thus far. • Cost-of-living concerns dominate: food security, housing costs, childcare costs, & mental-health access are top of mind. • Caregivers are expressing interest in the study via AirTable and project email • Trusted messengers are crucial to garnering interests (e.g. church leaders, org. leaders) compared with cold outreach. Community Outreach & Engagement Next Steps • Continued attendance at organizational-specific community events • Follow up with partners with a firm “go-live” date so they can refresh promotions • Use weekly, internal check-ins with to identify under-represented groups and deploy targeted engagement efforts. Organizations we should contact? Community Outreach & Engagement • For caregivers of children under age 6 • Express interest in survey, focus group discussions, or one-on- one interviews here! Caregiver Survey Cognitive Interviewing • Interviews with 5-10 participants • English & Spanish Field Test Revise Survey Translation Data Collection • Web survey with 30-50 participants • English & Spanish • Cut down to 25 minutes • Finalize web survey • Mandarin • Vietnamese • Others as needed • Expected launch in June Focus Group Discussions • IRB submitted and approved • Draft focus group guide developed • Scheduling form in development • Collaborate with community partners to determine in-person locations • Next Steps: • Finalize focus group guide • Begin scheduling focus groups Topics Covered • Demographics • Health • Parenting Support • Childcare • Employment • Finances • Food Security • Housing & Neighborhood • Caregiver Mental Health Participant Compensation • Caregiver survey participants: $30 • Caregiver focus group/interview participants: $50 • Gift cards sent via email or in-person Timeline RESEARCH • EVALUATION • SURVEYS • TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE www.dir-online.com Project Timeline May – June 2025 Finalize data collection instruments Begin data collection June – July 2025 Continue data collection Data analysis July – August 2025 Develop final report and presentation Project wrap-up Questions or feedback? Thank You