12_2019 NSECE Unlisted Home-based Provider Survey Contact Materials

Attachment 12 (A-E)

2019 NSECE

Unlisted Home-based Provider Survey

Contact Materials

August 2018

Table of Contents

12A. Unlisted Home-based Provider Advance Letter 3

12B. Unlisted Home-based Provider Thank You/Reminder Postcard 4

12C. Unlisted Home-based Provider NonResponse 5

12D. Unlisted Home-based Provider Refusal Conversion Contact 7

12E. Unlisted Home-based Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 9

12A. Unlisted Home-based Provider Advance Letter: Sent to eligible unlisted home-based providers who have been identified through the mail/web household screener and who live in a household that is not eligible for the household questionnaire.

Dear [FNAME LNAME],

We are writing to ask for your help with an important study about how we care for children in the United States. A member of your household recently participated in this study, and you were identified as an individual who looks after children who are not your own. We would like to ask you some follow-up questions in order to better understand the need for and availability of early care and education for children in your community. To thank you for your participation, we will send you a $10 gift card for completing the survey.

This study is conducted by the NORC at the University of Chicago on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The survey will take about 20 minutes and you can skip any question or stop the survey at any time. Participation is voluntary and your responses will be kept private.

To begin, please type the secure URL into any computer or mobile device’s web browser and enter the unique PIN and Password:

URL address: [https://XYZ/]

PIN: [WEBPIN] Password: [WEBPWD]

If you have questions or need help completing your survey, please call [PHONE] or email [EMAIL]. You can also learn more about the study online at http://www.nsece.norc.org.

Individuals like you play a critical role in caring for our nation’s children. Your responses will help improve support for the care of children in your area. We need your help to make this study a success. We hope you will decide to take part.

Sincerely,

A. Rupa Datta, Ph.D.

2019 NSECE Project Director

NORC at the University of Chicago

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 control number. The OMB number for this information collection is 0970-0391 and the expiration date is MM/DD/YEAR. Please send comments regarding the time required for this survey or any other aspect of the described information collection to: [Name and address to be added].

12B. Unlisted Home-based Provider Thank You/Reminder Postcard: Sent to unlisted home-based providers who have not yet completed the home-based provider questionnaire approximately two weeks after the mailing of the advance letter. This contact targets eligible home-based providers who were identified through the mail/web household screener who live in a household that is not eligible for the household questionnaire.

Dear [FNAME LNAME],

We recently sent you a letter asking you to complete a web survey about how we care for children in the United States. Your response will help the government and local agencies better understand where more support is needed for early care and education in your area.

The survey will take about 20 minutes, and you can skip any question or stop the survey at any time. To thank you for your participation, we will send you a $10 gift card for completing the survey.

If you have already completed this survey, thank you! If not, we ask you complete it as soon as possible. You can access the questions by typing the secure URL into the browser of any computer or mobile device and entering your PIN and Password:

Survey URL: https://url

PIN: [WEBPIN] Password: [WEBPWD]

If you have any questions, please contact us at [EMAIL] or [PHONE]

Thank you!

Participation is voluntary and responses will be kept private. 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 control number. The OMB number for this information collection is 0970-0391 and the expiration date is MM/DD/YEAR. Please send comments regarding the time required for this survey or any other aspect of the described information collection to: [Name and address to be added].

12C. Unlisted Home-based Provider NonResponse: Sent to unlisted home-based providers who have not yet completed the home-based provider questionnaire approximately two weeks after the mailing of the thank you/reminder postcard. This contact targets eligible unlisted home-based providers who were identified through the mail/web household screener and who live in a household that is not eligible for the household questionnaire.

Dear [FNAME LNAME],

We previously sent you a letter to asking for your help with an important study about how we care for children in the United States. Recently, a member of your household answered a few questions for this study and you were identified as someone who looks after children who are not your own. We want to hear from you whether you consider yourself a caretaker for children or not.

Your household was scientifically selected to take part in this study and cannot be replaced. We have been trying to reach you because your responses to this study will help policy makers and local agencies get a clearer picture of early care and education in your area. To thank you for your participation, we will send you a $10 gift card for completing the survey.

NORC at the University of Chicago is conducting this study on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The survey will take about 20 minutes. Participation is voluntary and your responses will be kept private.

To begin, please type the secure URL into any computer or mobile device’s web browser and enter the unique PIN and Password:

URL address: [https://XYZ/]

PIN: [WEBPIN] Password: [WEBPWD]

Because this survey is so important, a professional interviewer will be contacting you soon to answer any questions you might have and assist you in completing the survey. You can also call [PHONE] or email [EMAIL].

Whether you consider yourself a caregiver or not, individuals like you play a critical role in looking after our nation’s children. Your responses will help inform how public funds are spent to support early care and education of young children and related services.

We need your help to make this study a success. We hope you will take part. Thank you very much for your help with this important study.

Sincerely,

A. Rupa Datta, Ph.D.

2019 NSECE Project Director

NORC at the University of Chicago

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 control number. The OMB number for this information collection is 0970-0391 and the expiration date is MM/DD/YEAR. Please send comments regarding the time required for this survey or any other aspect of the described information collection to: [Name and address to be added].

12D. Unlisted Home-based Provider Refusal Conversion Contact: As needed - Sent to unlisted home-based providers that identified from the household screener and who have refused participation.

Dear [FNAME LNAME],

Recently an interviewer from NORC at the University of Chicago talked to you about an important study about how we care for children in the United States. We have included some information about the study below and hope this will encourage you to participate!

This study was previously conducted in 2012 when we interviewed over 2,000 individuals who were looking after young children in a home setting. These included both individuals who were running a small family child care business and others, like grandparents, neighbors, and other relatives, who were looking after children they had relationships with to help out their family and friends. The study helped policy makers and local agencies get a clearer understanding of the work caregivers do and how to better support them. Seven years have passed since we gathered this information, and we are now collecting updated information.

The 2019 study will be used to:

• Help develop programs to support caregivers with educational assistance, training, and improved pay and benefits.

• Better understand the experiences of family, friends, neighbors and others who look after children and offer opportunities for them to improve their knowledge and skills.

Why are you so important to this study?

• You were selected through scientific sampling. Because you represent so many others, you cannot be replaced.

• Your participation allows you to share your experience and concerns. This information may be used for important policy decisions that could affect the needs of families in your community.

• Public policy decisions should be based on accurate information. The most effective way to get accurate information to inform such decisions is by going directly to the people who look after children. We need you to answer these questions so public policy will not be based on wrong information and guesswork.

The survey will take about 20 minutes and to thank you for your participation, we will send you a $10 gift card for completing the survey. Participation in the survey is voluntary and your responses will be kept private. You can skip any question or end the survey at any time.

If you have any questions about the study, feel free to call me at [PHONE]. I will be happy to explain what a valuable contribution you will be making by participating in the study.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

NORC Field Manager

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 control number. The OMB number for this information collection is 0970-0391 and the expiration date is MM/DD/YEAR. Please send comments regarding the time required for this survey or any other aspect of the described information collection to: [Name and address to be added].

12E. Unlisted Home-based Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): To be included on the back of respondent letters.

What is this study about?

The National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE) is the only study aimed at better understanding the relationship between families’ needs for early care and education and what child care services are available to them. The study was first conducted in 2012, and seven years later we are collecting new information to learn how recent changes in programs and policies have affected families across the country.

Who is NORC at the University of Chicago?

NORC at the University of Chicago (NORC) is conducting this study. NORC is an independent, non-partisan research institution that helps federal agencies, decision-makers, and nonprofits make better decisions through data and analysis. For more information about us, please visit www.norc.org.   

How long does the survey take?

The survey takes about 20 minutes to complete.

Why was I selected for this survey?

Your household was scientifically selected from all of the household addresses in the U.S. to participate in this study. It is important for us to hear from every selected household to get a complete picture of the availability and use of early care and education in your area. You represent many other households like yours across the nation and cannot be replaced.

Your participation will help the nation’s policy makers and local agencies get a clearer picture of families’ needs for child care and how to better support working families that rely on child care.

Why do you want to interview me? I’m not a child care provider.

Recently, a member of your household answered a few questions for this study and you were identified as someone who looks after children who are not your own. We want to hear from you whether you consider yourself a caretaker for children or not.

We know that family, friends, neighbors, and others play a critical role in helping working families meet their child care needs, so we would like to hear from you as well to get a complete picture of who is looking after children and how parents manage complex work, school, and family schedules to fill in gaps in child care.

Questions this study will help to answer:

• Who is looking after children and what kind of care do they provide?

• How do parents balance work and school with child care?

• Which families use care provided by family, friends, and neighbors most often and why?

How do I know my information will be kept safe and private?

All NORC staff, including interviewers, must sign a pledge to protect your information. If this pledge is broken an employee can lose his/her job and face legal action. Answers that could identify you in any way are separated from your other responses. Survey findings are put into summary reports that contain no names or other identifying information. Your name or any other identifying information will never be released to the public.

How do you protect my answers?

Your answers are used for research purposes only. All information that you provide will be kept private to the fullest extent provided by the law. If you have questions about your rights as a study participant, you may call the NORC Institutional Review Board Administrator at 1-877-309-0542.

How do I know this is legitimate?

Visit us online at http://nsece.norc.org. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has approved this survey (0970-0391). Without this number we could not conduct this survey.

Participation is voluntary. 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 control number. The OMB number for this information collection is 0970-0391 and the expiration date is MM/DD/YEAR. Please send comments regarding the time required for this survey or any other aspect of the described information collection to: [Name and address to be added].

If you have any other questions, call us toll-free at [PHONE] or email us at [EMAIL].