NonSub Change Memo - NSECE COVID-19 Follow Up Changes to Qs & Sampling

To: Jordan Cohen

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

From: Ivelisse Martinez-Beck

Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE)

Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

Date: March 29, 2021

Subject: NonSubstantive Change Request: 2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education COVID-19 Follow-up (OMB #0970-0391)

This memo requests approval of nonsubstantive changes to the approved information collection, 2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education COVID-19 Follow-up (OMB #0970-0391).

Background

OPRE received approval in October 2020 to field a two wave longitudinal COVID Follow-up with early care and education (ECE) provider and workforce samples from the 2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE). Wave 1 data collection is nearly completed, as scheduled. Wave 2 data collection is scheduled to begin in early April, 2021. In general, Wave 1 data and data collection experience confirmed that the design of the COVID Follow-up could be implemented as expected and collect data to inform the research questions as intended. We are proposing (1) minor changes to Wave 2 sampling in response to patterns observed in the Wave 1 collected data, and (2) minor changes to the Wave 2 questionnaires in response to widespread availability of vaccines, the passage of two federal pandemic relief bills that affect the sampled early care and education samples, and additional review of questions that were initially added during the public comment period.

Overview of Requested Changes

Modifications to sampling approach

Our original design described the Wave 2 sample for the Center-based Provider Survey and Home-based Provider Surveys as follows:

“Providers or workforce members that had permanently ceased ECE services prior to February 2020 would not be fielded for Wave 2. Any providers or workforce members who were participating in ECE provision at the onset of the pandemic will be fielded for Wave 2, so that trajectories of ECE participation, including temporary closures as well as permanent exits, can be identified in the Wave 2 interview.

In our Wave 1 data, we have identified center-based and home-based providers that were providing ECE services as of February 2020, but who have since permanently ceased ECE operations. We propose to exclude these centers from Wave 2 data collection because they have informed us they do not intend to re-enter ECE. Based on their Wave 1 responses, we would be able to document them as permanent exits from ECE during the Wave 2 reference period.

Based on Wave 1 data collection to date, we anticipate that no more than 2 percent of 2019 NSECE sample members were providing ECE in February 2020 but had permanently exited ECE between that time and their completion of the Wave 1 interview. We propose to exclude these sample members from Wave 2 data collection. We do not anticipate any loss of analytic utility from excluding these providers; their experiences since the Wave 1 interview do not address the research questions for the COVID Follow-up.

We have revised the description in SSB to read (highlighted text is new):

Providers or workforce members that had permanently ceased ECE services prior to February 2020 would not be fielded for Wave 2. Any providers or workforce members who were participating in ECE provision at the onset of the pandemic and had not permanently exited ECE at the time of the Wave 1 interview will be fielded for Wave 2, so that trajectories of ECE participation, including temporary closures as well as permanent exits, can be identified in the Wave 2 interview

Modifications to questionnaires

All proposed changes to the questionnaires are consistent with the described purpose of the information collection and planned uses of data collected.

• Access to COVID-19 vaccine

On March 2, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a directive that all states immediately make childcare workers eligible for COVID-19 vaccination across all vaccination providers. We propose to add questions to understand the timing and extent of response to this directive. Similar questions have been asked in the Census Household Pulse Survey as well as other national surveys such as those conducted by the Pew Research Center or the AP-NORC Center.

We have added the following questions to the home-based provider and workforce questionnaire:

VAX3. Have you been vaccinated against COVID-19? (For example, you have received at least one dose of a single or double-dose vaccine.)

1 Yes (ask VAX5)

2 No

VAX5. During what month and year did you receive your first COVID-19 vaccination?

Month ____ Year ____ (skip past VAX7)

(ask if VAX3=No) VAX7. Once a vaccine to prevent COVID-19 is available to you, would you…

1 Definitely get a vaccine

2 Probably get a vaccine

3 Probably not get a vaccine

4 Definitely not get a vaccine

We have added the following question to the center-based provider questionnaire:

VAX_CB. Is your program helping staff get vaccinated against COVID-19? For example, are you providing your staff information from the federal government about vaccines for child care workers?

           

Month ____Year _______

VAX9. As far as you know, what proportion of your center staff have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine?

1 Less than 25 percent

2 25 – 49 percent

3 50 - 75 percent

4 75 percent or more

5 Don’t have that information

• Programs to provide financial assistance to child care providers

To collect information about assistance received by providers through federal legislation passed since November 2020, we propose some wording changes to existing questionnaire items:

B1. Since [March 2020/Wave 1 interview], has your program received stimulus funding or financial support from any of the following sources?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.

a. Federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)

b. Federal Small Business Administration (SBA) loan

c. Federal Employee Retention Credit

d. Other federal assistance (please specify) ___________________

e. State supply, retention or stabilization grants

k. State one-time payments or bonuses

f. State funds for essential supplies (cleaning/health supplies or PPE)

g. State subsidies for children of essential workers

h. Donations or private fundraising

i. Other (please specify):

j. None of the above

B2. Did your program apply for any of these types of assistance that you didn’t receive?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. [SHOW CATEGORIES NOT SELECTED IN B1]

a. Federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)

b. Federal Small Business Administration (SBA) loan

c. Federal Employee Retention Credit

d. Other federal assistance (please specify) ___________________

e. State supply, retention or stabilization grants

k. State one-time payments or bonuses

f. State funds for essential supplies (cleaning/health supplies or PPE)

g. State subsidies for children of essential workers

h. Donations or private fundraising

i. Other (please specify):

j. None of the above

• Edits to questions about facilities acquisition, construction or renovation needs.

We had added questions to the center-based and home-based provider questionnaires regarding facilities needs in response to public comment in Fall 2020. We propose to re-word one question to improve the clarity of the initially drafted item.

D28.

Are any of your program’s facilities needs related to improving the quality of children’s experiences, such as improving existing space, renovating playgrounds, or adding space for designated activities?

1. Yes

2. No

Time Sensitivities

Wave 2 is scheduled to begin data collection April 12, 2021, so that data collection can be completed from center-based providers who may close down starting in late May with the close of the academic school year. Delaying clearance beyond April 7^th would make it unlikely for us to obtain our desired responses rates from center-based providers for Wave 2.

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