Letters to Respondents

APPENDIX E

LETTERS TO RESPONDENTS

[U.S. Department of Education Letterhead]

Letter to CCAMPIS Grantees

Date

NAME

ADDRESS 1

ADDRESS 2

ADDRESS 3

CITY, STATE ZIP

Dear Director/Coordinator of Campus Child Care Services:

As you know, your institution was a recent Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) grantee. The U.S. Department of Education is now sponsoring a study to learn more about the child care services that colleges and universities provide to low-income postsecondary students. The study includes a survey that collects information via the Web about the child care services and the postsecondary students who use those services. Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (MPR) is conducting the study.

We hope you will participate in this important study. The information you provide will help the U.S. Department of Education improve its CCAMPIS program, which is designed to support the participation of low-income parents in postsecondary education by offering campus-based child care services.

Responses to this data collection will be used only for statistical purposes. The reports prepared for this study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific institution or individual. We will not provide information that identifies you or your institution to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law. Further, the information collected will not affect your institution’s ability to apply for future CCAMPIS grants.

In about a week, MPR will send you an email that provides a hyperlink for accessing the Child Care Survey of Postsecondary Institutions Web site and instructions for completing the survey. If you have any questions before then, please call MPR’s help desk (toll-free) at 1-800-535-0283, or send an email to [email protected].

We look forward to your participation. Thank you very much for your assistance.

Sincerely,

[insert name]

[insert title]

[insert department within the U.S. Department of Education]

[U.S. Department of Education Letterhead]

Letter to Nongrantees

Date

NAME

ADDRESS 1

ADDRESS 2

ADDRESS 3

CITY, STATE ZIP

Dear Director/Coordinator of Campus Child Care Services:

The U.S. Department of Education is sponsoring a study to learn more about the child care services that colleges and universities provide to low-income postsecondary students. The study includes a survey that collects information via the Web about the child care services and the postsecondary students who use those services. Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (MPR) is conducting the study.

We hope you will participate in this important study. The information you provide will help the U.S. Department of Education in its efforts to support the participation of low-income parents in postsecondary education through the provision of campus-based child care services.

Responses to this data collection will be used only for statistical purposes. The reports prepared for this study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific institution or individual. We will not provide information that identifies you or your institution to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law. Further, the information collected will not affect your institution’s ability to apply for future grants through the U.S. Department of Education.

In about a week, MPR will send you an email that provides a hyperlink for accessing the Child Care Survey of Postsecondary Institutions Web site and instructions for completing the survey. If you have any questions before then, please call MPR’s help desk (toll-free) at 1-800-535-0283, or send an email to [email protected].

We look forward to your participation. Thank you very much for your assistance.

Sincerely,

[insert name]

[insert title]

[insert department within the U.S. Department of Education]

First Email Request

Subject: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Child Care Services

Dear Director/Coordinator of Campus Child Care Services:

You should recently have received a letter from the U.S. Department of Education (Department) about a Child Care Survey of Postsecondary Institutions that the Department is sponsoring. Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (MPR) is conducting the survey for the Department. The survey collects information on both the child care services that institutions provide and the postsecondary students who use those services.

To access the Child Care Survey of Postsecondary Institutions, click here: https://www.us-childcaresurvey.org. At the login screen, please enter the following:

Login ID: [insert]

Password: [insert]

When you log in, you will find easy-to-follow instructions on how to complete the survey. If you have any questions about the survey, or any issues in general, please contact Valerie Williams at our toll-free help desk at 1-888-535-0283, or send an email to [email protected].

Responses to this data collection will be used only for statistical purposes. The reports prepared for this study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific institution or individual. We will not provide information that identifies you or your institution to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law.

We ask that you complete the survey by month day, 200#. Thank you very much for your assistance with this important study.

Sincerely,

Kirsten Barrett, Ph.D.

Survey Director, Child Care Study

Email Prompt for Those Who Have Not Accessed the Web Site
Three Days After Initial Email

Subject: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Child Care Services

Dear Director/Coordinator of Campus Child Care Services:

We recently sent you an information letter and an email invitation to participate in an important survey sponsored by the U.S. Department (Department) of Education. Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (MPR) is conducting the survey, which collects information about your institution’s child care services and the postsecondary students who use those services.

Your participation is very important to the study, as it will give the Department the information it needs to support low-income parents in postsecondary education through the provision of campus-based child care services.

You may complete the survey by Web, by filling out a hard copy, or by speaking with an MPR interviewer. If you want to complete the survey by Web, click here: https://www.us-childcaresurvey.org. At the login screen, please enter the following:

Login ID: [insert]

Password: [insert]

When you log in, you will find easy-to-follow instructions to help you complete the survey. If you want a paper copy of the survey mailed to you, or if you want to complete the survey by phone, just call our toll-free number, [enter project-assigned Survey Operations Center phone number]. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Valerie Williams at our toll-free help desk, 1-888-535-0283, or send an email to [email protected].

We hope that you will help us with this important survey. We look forward to receiving your information in the near future. Thank you very much for your assistance.

Sincerely,

Kirsten Barrett, Ph.D.

Survey Director, Child Care Study

The Child Care Survey OF POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTIONS

The U.S. Department of Education

What is the Child Care Survey of Post Secondary Institutions?

The purpose of the Child Care Survey is to collect information on the child care services provided by postsecondary institutions to low-income students with young children. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, the survey is designed to be completed by the person at the institution who is most familiar with these services.

Why should my institution participate in the Child Care Survey?

Your participation is very important because it will help the U.S. Department of Education to understand how it can best support your institution’s efforts to help low-income students with young children complete their college education.

How was my institution selected to participate?

Some institutions were selected because they recently received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support the child care services they provide to low-income students. Other institutions were selected through a scientific process from the institutions listed in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).

Will information be kept private?

Yes. Responses to this data collection will be used only for statistical purposes. The reports prepared for this study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific institution or individual. We will not provide information that identifies you or your institution to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law.

Who is conducting the survey?

Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (MPR) is conducting the survey on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education. MPR is a private company that has been doing research in education for nearly 40 years. Its main offices are in Washington, DC, and Princeton, New Jersey.

Who is sponsoring the study?

The study is being sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education’s Policy and Program Studies Service.

Who should I contact if I have questions?

Please contact Valerie Williams at Mathematica Policy Research:

• Telephone: 888-535-0283 (toll-free)

• Email: [email protected]

• Mail: 600 Maryland Avenue, SW, Suite 550, Washington, DC 20024-2512

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