Introduction
The Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) grant program-- a federally funded adolescent pregnancy prevention initiative administered by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Family and Youth Services Bureau-- teaches youth how to voluntarily refrain from non-marital sexual activity. The program was first funded by Congress through a discretionary grant program in 2016 (General Departmental grantees) and through the reauthorization of Title V in 2018 (Title V State and Competitive grantees). As part of the Sexual Risk Avoidance Education National Evaluation (SRAENE), Mathematica conducted a study to examine how SRAE grant recipients responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and their plans for the future.
Purpose
This fact sheet summarizes grant recipients’ experiences related to their work environments, communication, technology use, staffing, implementation, and data collection as they navigated the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
The primary audience for this series includes those who support SRAE program efforts nationwide, including federal staff, state staff, and provider organizations. The information presented may also be of interest to policymakers, researchers, and academics working in the broader sexual risk avoidance field or working to understand the broad implications of the pandemic.
Key Findings and Highlights
- Like many workplaces across the United States, grant recipients altered their work environment because of the pandemic. In particular, many grant recipients had more staff work remotely, although this percentage fell over time.
- During the pandemic, most grant recipients added new technology to better communicate with staff and provide programming to youth.
- Generally, grant recipients did not lose staff between fall 2020 and fall 2021.
- Many grant recipients had to halt programming for youth during the pandemic, particularly during fall 2020. By spring 2021 and fall 2021, most grant recipients were able to implement programming, either virtually or in person, in at least one site.
- Many grant recipients recognized the need for additional staff training during the pandemic, and given that programming for youth was more limited and staff traveled less while working remotely, some grant recipients found staff had more time to engage in trainings.
- During the 2020—2021 school year, some grant recipients reduced their program dosage by shortening their programming time from what they had planned. However, the changes to dosage did not seem to be permanent, as most grant recipients hoped to match or exceed their pre-pandemic dosage moving forward.
- Looking toward the future and the services they will provide youth, grant recipients felt that youth would continue to face significant hardships as they deal with the aftermath of the pandemic in the coming school year.
Methods
This study draws on data from interviews with General Departmental and Competitive SRAE grant recipients. From November 2021 to February 2022, the grant recipients completed an online interview. In total, 101 of 103 grant recipients responded. The SRAENE team conducted qualitative and quantitative analyses of the interview data.
Citation
Keating, Betsy, Sarah Wagner, and Susan Zief. “Adapting to a New Reality: Lessons from SRAE Grant Recipients’ Experiences During the COVD-19 Pandemic.” OPRE Report No. 2022-327. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2022.