Appendix B-4.Cover letter for Parents

Appendix B-4:

Cover letter for Parents

[DATE]

Dear Parent,

I am pleased to invite you to take part in a new study. It is called the Family and Early Care and Education Provider Relationship Study. It will look at the way families and their children’s early education teacher or child care provider work together to teach and care for children. The results will help us develop surveys that teachers, child care providers, and policymakers can use to improve children’s care and education.

The study is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is conducted by Westat, a research firm in Rockville, Maryland. Your participation is voluntary, but I encourage you to participate because your input will help improve child care and early education in the United States. To thank you for your participation, we will send you a check for $25 when you return your completed survey in the postage-paid envelope.

All information collected will be kept private. No information that identifies you or your child will be included in any reports. The information you give us will not be shared with your child’s early education or child care program. Your participation will not affect you or your child’s standing with your early education or care program or your provider.

A study brochure, a flyer with frequently asked questions, and a copy of the survey are included in this packet. These materials should answer any questions you may have about the study and give you information about what is involved in participating. If you have any questions about the study, please call Westat toll free at 1-800-xxxx or email _____ at ___. More information about this study is also available at the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) website at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/other_resrch/fprq/overview.html#overview.

Sincerely,

Christine Winquist Nord

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 10 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB number.

The office of Management and Budget has approved the data collection under OMB #XXXX-XXXX. OPRE is authorized to conduct this study under Section 649 of the Head Start Act, as amended by the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007, codified at 42 United States Code (U.S.C.) 9844.

OMB No.: XXXX-XXXX Expiration date: XX/XXXX