Dear Families and Partners Serving Families in Western Pennsylvania:
Please share how your family is doing this week. Our goal is to understand family strengths and needs from week to week, so we are inviting families to participate as often as they can during the pandemic. We have identified significant need for food and employment assistance to families. Parents are also sharing their stories that are helping community partners to respond to food and transportation needs.
Why are we doing this? We know that COVID-19 (the new coronavirus) has challenged all of us. We know that parents and adult caregivers are vital for ensuring children continue to thrive during these tough times. In a collaborative effort by The Pittsburgh Study, University of Pittsburgh Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Division of Community Health, United Way 211, the UrbanKind Institute, Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center, Allegheny County Health Department, and Allegheny County Department of Human Services, we are asking families to tell us what life is like in their household during the pandemic -- what are their strengths and what are their challenges.
To help us get a broad understanding of the experiences of families across Western Pennsylvania right now, we would value your help in asking families in your network and your community partners to complete this survey by going here to complete in English or Spanish: https://www.pediatrics.pitt.edu/family-strengths-survey
The survey takes about 6 minutes to complete. We will post and analyze surveys every week throughout the pandemic. Families can complete this anonymous survey every week if they choose. This research was reviewed by the University of Pittsburgh Institutional Review Board and deemed to be Exempt under the Federal Regulations at §46.104
There is also a phone-in option. (412) 692-8026
After completing this survey, families will have the option of providing their contact information for a chance to win a $100 gift card (5 people randomly selected each week from everyone who answers the survey); this contact information will not be linked to survey responses. Families can also provide their contact information to receive future notifications when the new weekly survey is posted.
How will this information be used? Every week, the research team sends reports of survey results to community partners, including the Allegheny County Health Department, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, the United Way as well as many other community agencies. Using the information families have shared from week to week, we work with these partners to help families connect with needed resources throughout the pandemic, including on the growing resource list included on the survey website under "Connecting With Resources."
Thank you in advance for forwarding this message on. Please also consider posting this link (on your website https://www.pediatrics.pitt.edu/family-strengths-survey) or including in your email signature. We are committed to using these data to improve resources for families in Western Pennsylvania during this pandemic.
Thank you,
The Pittsburgh Study team and partners
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Lisa M. Ripper, MPH, CPH
Community Health Research Manager
Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine
UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
120 Lytton Ave, Suite 302, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Office: 412-692-6313