Attachment A - Recruitment Materials

Attachment A: Recruitment Materials

Table of Contents:

#	Title	Page
A1	Advance email for State and Territory CCDF Lead Agencies	3
A2	Study Flyer: Seeking Your Help to Understand CCDF Lead Agency Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Needs	5
A3	Office of Child Care Letter of support	6
A4	Recruitment call script for Tribal CCDF Lead Agencies	7
A5	Advance Email for Tribal CCDF Lead Agencies	10
A6	Survey Invitation Email	12
A7	Survey Reminder Email	14
A8	Survey Phone Follow Up Scripts	15
A9	Focus Group Invitation Email	17
A10	Focus Group Follow Up Email	19
A11	Focus Group Follow Up Phone Script	20
A12	Focus Group Registration Email	21
A13	Focus Group Reminder Email	22

A1. Advance email for State and Territory CCDF Lead Agencies

Subject: Introduction to Survey from the Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Center

Dear [Administrator1FirstName] [Administrator2FirstName],

We are doing a survey about how Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Lead Agencies use and consume for the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. OPRE has contracted with Mathematica, an independent research organization with offices across the country, and the Urban Institute, a non-profit nonpartisan research organization based in Washington D.C., to do this survey.

The purpose of the survey is to better understand the types of resources and supports that administrators of CCDF agencies, like you, would find helpful to increase your agency’s ability to do and use research. In a few days, we will send you an invitation to complete the 25-minute Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building (ECB) Center Survey. After all administrators complete the survey, we will do focus groups with a smaller group of CCDF staff from some selected agencies.

This survey will be sent to all State and Territory CCDF Lead Agencies and a sample of Tribal CCDF Agencies. We ask that you, as well as other staff at your agency, contribute to the survey. It can be completed in multiple sessions if needed. To help you prepare for the survey we list the survey topics below. Please note, for some topics you will need input from a lead or co-lead and the staff person at your agency who knows the most about research activities.

Section	Topics
A	Characteristics of the lead administrator and co-lead
B	Agency structure and role in your state/territory/tribe’s child care system
C	Agency’s use of existing research and data and the kinds of research your agency has done recently
D	Agency’s research capacity and barriers to conducting research
E	Agency’s interest in capacity building activities
F	Data and resources that would help your agency respond to the COVID-19 pandemic

Your participation is voluntary, but OPRE and the Child Care ECB Center can develop better resources if we know more about what your agency needs and what you and your team think will be most helpful. The goal of this study is to get information that will help ACF better support CCDF Lead Agencies. Your survey responses will be maintained with the identity of your agency and shared within ACF. Some findings that do not identify specific agencies may be made public. We believe that the risks of participating are small, however it is important to note that because responses will be maintained with the identity of agencies, ACF will have access to information about agencies’ strengths and challenges and will know which agencies did not participate. If you choose to participate, you can decline to answer specific questions. Additionally, your answers will not impact any support or funding you currently receive from ACF.

We are attaching a letter of support from the Office of Child Care encouraging you to participate in the survey and focus groups. We are also attaching a short description of the Center and more information on the activities described in this email.

If you have any questions about the upcoming survey, or believe that someone else in your agency is better suited to complete it please contact us at [email protected] or 1-XXX-XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Herard-Tsiagbey

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 and expiration date for the described collection are OMB #: 0970-0356, Exp: 02/29/2024. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to Mathematica; 1100 First St NE #1200, Washington, DC, 20002., Attention: Jennifer Herard-Tsiagbey.

Survey Director

A2. Study Flyer: Seeking Your Help to Understand CCDF Lead Agency Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Needs

Seeking Your Help to Understand CCDF Lead Agency

Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Needs

As a CCDF Lead Agency administrator, you are increasingly asked to use research and evidence to inform your decisions. The Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Center (Child Care ECB Center), is gathering information to understand what CCDF Lead Agencies need to better use and do research. We will then develop resources to support the identified needs based on what we find.

What information are we collecting?

We are gathering information to better understand:

• ways CCDF Lead Agencies use research findings in decision making,

• your perceptions of your agency’s capacity to use or conduct research (including administrative data analysis), and

• the types of resources and other supports that you would find helpful to increase your agency’s ability to do research (for example, research briefs, webinars, and peer learning opportunities).

How will we collect information from your agency?

• Surveys of all State and Territory, and a small number of Tribal CCDF Lead Agencies.

• Virtual focus groups of about 15-20 State, Territory, and Tribal CCDF Lead Agencies that completed surveys.

Who is conducting this study?

The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is sponsoring the study. OPRE has contracted with the Urban Institute, a non-profit nonpartisan research organization based in Washington D.C., in partnership with Mathematica, an independent research organization with offices across the country, to conduct the study. Mathematica will email you to provide details and instructions for the survey. The Urban Institute will reach out to you about the focus groups.

Why should your agency participate?

Your participation is voluntary, but we hope you will participate so that ACF can better support CCDF Lead Agencies.

What are the risks to participating or not participating?

The data we collect will be shared with OPRE and the Office of Child Care. Your survey responses will be maintained with the identity of your agency, and shared within ACF. Findings are meant to inform ACF activities that could support your agency. Some findings that do not identify specific agencies may be made public .We believe that the risks of participating are small, however it is important to note that because responses will be maintained with the identity of agencies, ACF will have access to information about agencies’ strengths and challenges and will know which agencies did not participate. If you choose to participate, you can decline to answer specific questions.

A3. Office of Child Care Letter of support

Dear [NAME],

On behalf of the Office of Child Care, I am writing in support of the Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Center (Child Care ECB Center) survey and focus groups, sponsored by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

This survey will ask all Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) administrators, like you, questions about how you already use research in your decision making and your agency’s capacity to conduct your own research. This information will help OPRE and the Child Care ECB Center better understand the types of resources and supports that you would find helpful to increase your agency’s ability to do and use research. The information that you provide will not be used for punitive or compliance-related decisions or actions. After the survey is complete, some CCDF staff from selected agencies will be invited to participate in virtual focus groups to better understand responses to the survey. You will receive a separate invitation if your agency is selected and participation is voluntary.

The Office of Child Care fully supports this Center and, your participation in their data collection efforts. We strongly encourage you to make time to find out more about this important project and engage in conversations with members of the project team. We hope you will take advantage of this exciting opportunity!

Thank you in advance for your participation in this important effort.

Sincerely,

[NAME]

Director

Office of Child Care

The Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Center Survey and Focus Groups are being conducted by Mathematica and the Urban Institute, nationally recognized, nonpartisan research organizations. If you have any questions or concerns about this study or your participation in this study, please contact Jennifer Herard, Survey Director, at [email protected]

A4. Recruitment call script for Tribal CCDF Lead Agencies

THE CHILD CARE RESEARCH AND EVALUATION CAPACITY BUILDING CENTER
TELEPHONE SCRIPT FOR ADMINISTRATORS OF CCDF TRIBAL LEAD AGENCIES

INTRODUCTION

Your agency has been invited to take part in a survey of Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Lead Agencies to get a better understanding of the research, evaluation, and data analysis activities of your agency, the challenges your agency faces, and the supports and resources your agency would find helpful. 

My name is [insert name] from Mathematica, an independent research organization with offices across the country and I am calling about the Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Center. As part of our work we will assess and build the research and evaluation capacities of State, Territory, and Tribal CCDF Lead Agencies.

In the coming days, we will send you an email inviting you to complete a survey about your agency’s experience doing and using research to inform decision making. The survey will be sent to a sample of Tribal Agencies to gather information that will be used to: develop briefs, webinars, and other resources to support the research and evaluation activities of CCDF Lead Agencies.

However, before we send you the survey invite we wanted to take some time to introduce ourselves and talk with you a little about the Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Center, answer any questions you might have, talk about what participation in the survey means for you and your community, and discuss any recommendations you have for best next steps, if you decide to participate. Is this a good time for you to talk?

[ALLOW TIME FOR QUESTIONS, RESPOND TO QUESTIONS OR DEFER QUESTIONS UNTIL LATER IN THE CALL WHEN THE TOPIC IS PRESENTED.]

[IF GOOD TIME]: Great. We would like to tell you more about the goals of the survey and answer any questions you may have.

Thank you for speaking with us today. Before we talk more about the details, I want to be very upfront and transparent about this study and ensure you have some additional context about how we approach this work:

1. I want to let you know that your participation is totally voluntary. Even if your agency participates, participation by staff is also voluntary.

2. We are not evaluating or monitoring your program. Your participation is voluntary, but OPRE and the Child Care ECB Center can better help you if we know more about what your agency needs and what your team thinks will be most helpful. The information you contribute will help ACF provide better resources like issue briefs and webinars on relevant topics to support CCDF Lead Agencies. Your survey responses will be maintained with the identity of your agency and shared within ACF. Some findings that do not identify specific agencies may be made public.

3. Anyone who has direct interaction with you and your agency is rigorously trained on how to work respectfully with American Indian and Alaska Native communities. We are very diligent about honoring and respecting local ways of knowing, cultural traditions, and sovereignty; and if you should decide to participate we want to work with you to ensure we do this work in accordance with your local protocols and with respect to your sovereignty.

PURPOSE AND BASIC ACTIVITIES

I would like to briefly tell you about the Center, and some of the activities that will take place. Please stop me at any time if you have questions.

This survey will seek to:

• Understand the strengths and challenges of the Tribal CCDF Lead Agencies for conducting, partnering to obtain, and using research and evaluation

• Describe the research and evaluation capacities of CCDF Tribal Lead Agencies

• Develop resources and supports to enhance the research and evaluation capacities of the CCDF Tribal Lead Agencies

• Explore reasons for capacity challenges and perspectives on potential solutions

DATA COLLECTION

As I mentioned, we want to respect your sovereignty and local protocols and if needed we will seek tribal approval before we collect any data.

With the input of experienced Native and Non-Native early childhood experts, we have tried to minimize the burden to you and your program while also being attentive to cultural differences. If you and the tribe approve your agency’s participation, we will gather data using a survey and virtual focus group.

NEXT STEPS

We would like your help to determine the best way to ask for permission for your agency to share information with our team. Our team has already obtained Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval from its own IRB for the project. IRB approval helps to ensure that our data collection meets scientific standards to protect participants.

• Do you know who needs to review and approve research in your community, such as a specific committee, tribal council, or tribal IRB?

  • [If yes] Do you know how often [insert appropriate approval body] meets?

  • [probe on the process for gaining approval. If they do not know about the approval process, try to identify a point of contact who does and ask permission to reach out to them.]

• Is there anyone beyond yourself that we should include on the formal invitation to participate? (for example, tribal council members, agency superiors, governmental leaders, or others)

• Are there any particular concerns, such as privacy, associated with conducting the survey and focus group with your agency that we need to address in our future correspondence with and presentations to tribal leaders?

• What do you recommend as next steps?

[ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS. ALLOW DIRECTOR TO RESPOND BY SPECIFYING NEXT STEPS. COLLECT INFORMATION ABOUT FORMS NEEDED AND MEETING DATES OR TIMELINES. SCHEDULE A FOLLOW UP CALL AFTER FORMAL INVITATION MATERIALS ARE RECEIVED.]

We very much appreciate all your time in talking with us today. We will now [LIST NEXT STEPS DISCUSSED]. One quick note, we will be following up with you via email, please keep an eye out for my email address as well as messages from the study team’s inbox [SHARE BOTH EMAILS]. We will be back in touch with you to speak further about the next steps in seeking tribal approval.

In the meantime, what is the easiest way to contact you—by phone or email? [CONFIRM THAT THIS PERSON IS THE ONE WHO SHOULD BE YOUR REGULAR CONTACT.] Do you have any questions at this point? If questions or concerns come up, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or 1-XXX-XXX-XXXX.

[THANK ADMINISTRATOR AND END CALL.]

A5. Advance Email for Tribal CCDF Lead Agencies

Subject: Introduction to the Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Center

Dear [Administrator1FirstName],

It was great to speak with you on [LAST CONTACT DATE]. As I mentioned during our call, I’m following up to formally invite you to participate in a survey about the research capacities and interests of Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Lead Agencies for the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. OPRE has contracted with Mathematica, an independent research organization with offices across the country, and the Urban Institute, a non-profit nonpartisan research organization based in Washington D.C., to do this survey

The purpose of the survey is to gather information from administrators of CCDF agencies, like you, to inform the activities of the Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Center. We will use the information to develop briefs, webinars, and other resources to support CCDF Lead Agencies. In a few days, we will send you an invitation to complete the 25-minute Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building (ECB) Center Survey. The invitation to compete the survey will come from our study team’s secure email inbox. After all administrators complete the survey, we will do focus groups with a smaller group of CCDF staff from some selected agencies.

This survey will be sent to all State and Territory CCDF Lead Agencies and a sample of Tribal CCDF Agencies. We ask that you, as well as other staff at your agency, contribute to the survey. It can be completed in multiple sessions if needed. To help you prepare for the survey we list the survey topics below, please note, for some topics you will need input from a lead or co-lead and the staff person at your agency who knows the most about research activities.

Section	Topics
A	Characteristics of the lead administrator and co-lead
B	Agency structure and role in your state/territory/tribe’s child care system
C	Agency’s use of existing research and data and the kinds of research your agency has done recently
D	Agency’s research capacity and barriers to conducting research
E	Agency’s interest in capacity building activities
F	Data and resources that would help your agency respond to the COVID-19 pandemic

Your participation is voluntary, but OPRE and the Child Care ECB Center can better help you if we know more about what your agency needs and what you and your team think will be most helpful. The goal of this study is to get information that will help ACF better support CCDF Lead Agencies. Your survey responses will be maintained with the identity of your agency and shared within ACF. Some findings that do not identify specific agencies may be made public. We believe that the risks of participating are small, however it is important to note that because responses will be maintained with the identity of agencies, ACF will have access to information about agencies’ strengths and challenges and will know which agencies did not participate. If you choose to participate, you can decline to answer specific questions. Additionally, your answers will not impact any support or funding you currently receive from ACF.

We are attaching a letter of support from the Office of Child Care encouraging you to participate in the survey and focus groups. We are also attaching a short description of the Center and more information on the activities described in this email.

If you have any questions about the upcoming survey, please contact us at [email protected] or 1-XXX-XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely,

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 and expiration date for the described collection are OMB #: 0970-0356, Exp: 02/29/2024. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to Mathematica; 1100 First St NE #1200, Washington, DC, 20002., Attention: Jennifer Herard-Tsiagbey.

The Child Care ECB Center Team

A6. Survey Invitation Email

Subject: Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Center Survey Invitation

Dear [Administrator1FirstName] [Administrator2FirstName],

Thank you in advance for taking the time to learn more about the Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building (ECB) Center Survey.

The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) contracted with Mathematica, an independent research organization with offices across the country, and the Urban Institute, a non-profit nonpartisan research organization based in Washington D.C., to do this survey to better understand agencies’ ability to use or do research. We will use the information you provide in the survey to develop briefs, webinars, and other resources to support the research and evaluation activities of CCDF Lead Agencies. The web survey is estimated to take 25 minutes. Part of the survey requires input from the staff person at your agency who knows the most about research activities, we will indicate these sections in the survey. It can be completed in multiple sessions if needed.

Your participation is voluntary, but OPRE and the Child Care ECB Center can better help you if we know more about what your agency needs and what you and your team think will be most helpful. The goal of this study is to get information that will help ACF better support CCDF Lead Agencies. Your survey responses will be maintained with the identity of your agency and shared within ACF. Some findings that do not identify specific agencies may be made public. We believe that the risks of participating are small, however it is important to note that because responses will be maintained with the identity of agencies, ACF will have access to information about agencies’ strengths and challenges and will know which agencies did not participate. If you choose to participate, you can decline to answer specific questions. Additionally, your answers will not impact any support or funding you currently receive from ACF.

Please click on the link below to access the web-based survey.

URL: [INSERT LEAD AGENCY-SPECIFIC URL]

IMPORTANT NOTE: You can share this link with anyone that will help you complete the survey, but to avoid errors no more than one person should be in the survey at the same time. After you complete the survey, you may print out a copy of your responses for your records if you would like.

Please complete the survey by [INSERT DATE].

We are attaching a letter of support from the Office of Child Care encouraging you to participate in the survey. If you have any questions about the survey, would like to see a copy of the questions before you begin, or believe that someone else in your agency is better suited to complete it please contact us at [email protected] or 1-XXX-XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Herard-Tsiagbey

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 and expiration date for the described collection are OMB #: 0970-0356, Exp: 02/29/2024. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to Mathematica; 1100 First St NE #1200, Washington, DC, 20002., Attention: Jennifer Herard-Tsiagbey.

Survey Director

A7. Survey Reminder Email

Subject: Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Center Survey Reminder

Dear [Administrator1FirstName],

Recently we invited you to complete the Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building (ECB) Center Survey. We have not heard from you. Your response is important because this survey will be used to develop resources to support your agency. Please complete the survey by [INSERT DATE].

Please click on the link below to access the web-based survey.

URL: [INSERT GRANTEE AND GRANTEE-SPECIFIC URL]

IMPORTANT NOTE: You can share this link with anyone helping you complete the survey, but to avoid errors no more than one person should be in the survey at the same time. After you complete the survey, you may print out a copy of your responses for your records if you would like.

The survey is estimated to take about 25 minutes to finish. Part of the survey requires input from the staff member who oversees research for your agency. You can complete it in multiple sessions if needed.

Your participation is voluntary, but OPRE and the Child Care ECB Center can better help you if we know more about what your agency needs and what you and your team think will be most helpful. The goal of this study is to get information that will help ACF better support CCDF Lead Agencies. Your survey responses will be maintained with the identity of your agency and shared within ACF. Some findings that do not identify specific agencies may be made public. We believe that the risks of participating are small, however it is important to note that because responses will be maintained with the identity of agencies, ACF will have access to information about agencies’ strengths and challenges and will know which agencies did not participate. If you choose to participate, you can decline to answer specific questions. Additionally, your answers will not impact any support or funding you currently receive from ACF.

We are attaching a letter of support from the Office of Child Care encouraging you to participate in the survey. If you have any questions about the survey or would like to see a copy of the questions before you begin please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or 1-XXX-XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Herard-Tsiagbey

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 and expiration date for the described collection are OMB #: 0970-0356, Exp: 02/29/2024. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to Mathematica; 1100 First St NE #1200, Washington, DC, 20002., Attention: Jennifer Herard-Tsiagbey.

Survey Director

A8. Survey Phone Follow Up Scripts

The Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Center
Telephone Script for Survey Follow Up

Script for CCDF Agencies who have not completed the survey:

Hi, my name is [insert name] and I’m calling from Mathematica, an independent research organization with offices across the country, about the Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Center. We recently sent you an email with a link to complete a survey for the Center. Did you receive the email?

If no to “did you receive the email”:

Can you confirm your email address? I can send you another copy of the email after we get off the phone.

I can also tell you about the survey now. Mathematica and the Urban Institute are doing the survey on behalf of the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The survey asks you questions about the structure of your agency, how your agency uses research and develops reports, and your interests in developing your agency’s ability to do research. The email you will get soon will also provide a unique link that you can click on to begin your survey. You can complete the survey yourself or share the link with others at your agency who may help you complete it. However, we wanted to remind you that only one person should be in the survey at a time to avoid errors.

Do you have any questions about completing the survey?

ANSWER QUESTIONS AS NEEDED

Will you have a chance to complete the survey by [insert date]?

Great, thank you in advance for your participation and your time today! Feel free to contact us at [email protected] or 1-XXX-XXX-XXXX if you have any questions about completing the survey.

If yes to “did you receive the email”: Great, have you had a chance to start the survey?

If no to “have you had a chance to start the survey?”:

I can tell you about the survey while we are on the phone. Mathematica and the Urban Institute are doing the survey on behalf of the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The survey asks questions about the structure of your agency, how your agency uses research and develops reports, and your interests in developing your agency’s ability to do research. The invitation email that we sent recently includes a unique link that you can click on to begin your survey. You can complete the survey yourself or share the link with others at your agency who may help you complete it. However, we wanted to remind you that only one person should be in the survey at a time to avoid errors.

Do you have any questions about completing the survey?

ANSWER QUESTIONS AS NEEDED

If yes to “have you had a chance to start the survey?”:

Do you have any questions about completing the survey? Did you run into any issues that stopped you from completing the survey?

ANSWER QUESTIONS AS NEEDED

All:

Will you have a chance to complete the survey by [insert date]?

Great, thank you in advance for your participation and your time today! Feel free to contact us at [email protected] or 1-XXX-XXX-XXXX if you have any questions about completing the survey.

A9. Focus Group Invitation Email

Subject: Invitation to Participate: Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Center Focus Group

Dear [Administrator1FirstName],

Thank you for completing our survey on Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building. Your answers will help us better understand CCDF Lead Agency experiences, needs, and strengths in using and doing research.

We now writing to invite [fill in who is being invited; based on the survey it may be up to two people including the CCDF Lead Administrator, CCDF Co-Lead Administrator, and person in charge of research activities] to participate in a follow up 90-minute virtual focus group with other [State/Territory or Tribal] CCDF Lead Agency staff. This follow up session is also funded by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). The information you share in the focus group will be combined with the information shared in the survey to help us better understand your agency’s needs, interests, and strengths.

We really hope that [you or your team] will participate. Your participation is voluntary, but OPRE and the Child Care ECB Center can better develop resources to help you if we know more about what your agency needs and what you and your team thinks will be most helpful. The goal of this study is to get information that will help ACF better support CCDF Lead Agencies. Your responses to questions in the focus group will be anonymized. We believe the risks of participating are small, however, other participants in the focus group may talk about what they hear in the focus group sessions. In addition, if ACF staff are very familiar with agencies, they may be able to deduce participating agencies by disaggregated themes or particular quotes. If you choose to participate, you can decline to answer specific questions.

We would like to schedule your focus group during the next [give number] weeks. Once we schedule a date, we will send each invited person a personalized link to register for and enter the virtual focus group. Please respond to this email by [INSERT DATE] to let us know:

• if you or someone at your agency will participate (say YES or NO here),

• which of the invited staff are interested in participating (each interested person should complete the Doodle Poll here)

See more information below on what a virtual focus group is and how you would participate. Please email me at [email protected] if you have additional questions

What is a virtual focus group?

The focus group will be held using [insert name of virtual platform], a web-based platform. You will be able to see other focus group participants through web-cameras (for those that have access to this technology) so that it will feel like we are all sitting in the same room together.

How do you maintain privacy in a virtual focus group?

We will send you a private link and a password that you will need to join the meeting. As we begin the focus group, we will ask each participant to affirm that to the best of their knowledge only the people invited to participate can hear what is being said or see what is on the screen.

What do I need to participate in the virtual focus group?

• If you have agreed to participate in the focus group, in the days leading up to the focus group:

  • Ensure that you are registered, using the personalized link that will be sent in a follow-up email

  • Check that you will have reliable internet access at the time of the focus group

  • Prepare to be in front of a computer screen and to use a web-cam (if you have one)

  • Ensure that you can participate in a private place where people who are not invited to the focus group cannot see your screen or hear what others in the focus group are saying

• During the focus group:

  • Speak comfortably using your computer’s microphone or a telephone or cell phone

  • Spend 90 minutes in front of a computer screen sharing your thoughts and perceptions with other CCDF Lead Agency staff who are also participating in the focus group, and using a web-cam (if you have one)

  • Ensure that you can participate in a private place where people who are not invited to the focus group cannot see your screen or hear what others in the focus group are saying

If you would like to learn more about the Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Center, you can go to our Urban Institute web-page at Building Child Care Research Capacity.

Sincerely,

Teresa Derrick-Mills, Focus Group Leader

The Child Care ECB Center

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 and expiration date for the described collection are OMB #: 0970-0356, Exp: 02/29/2024. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to The Urban Institute; 500 L’Enfant Plaza, SW; Washington, DC 20024, Attention: Teresa Derrick-Mills.

Contact Information: 202-261-5731, [email protected]

A10. Focus Group Follow Up Email

Subject: Invitation to Participate: Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Center Focus Group

Dear [Administrator1FirstName],

Two weeks ago we emailed you an invitation to participate in a focus group. We are following up on the email below to give you another opportunity to sign up for a focus group where your agency can share your perspectives.

Please respond to this email by [INSERT DATE] to let us know:

• if you or someone at your agency will participate (say YES or NO here),

• which of the invited staff are interested in participating (each interested person should complete the Doodle Poll here)

Once we schedule a date, we will send each invited person a personalized link to register for and enter the virtual focus group.

Original Email Forwarded

[Insert email A9]

A11. Focus Group Follow Up Phone Script

THE CHILD CARE RESEARCH AND EVALUATION CAPACITY BUILDING CENTER
TELEPHONE SCRIPT FOR FOCUS GROUP FOLLOW UP

Script for CCDF Agencies who have not responded to the focus group invitation:

Hi, my name is [insert name] and I’m calling from the Urban Institute, a non-profit nonpartisan research organization based in Washington D.C., about the Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Center. We recently sent you an email inviting members of your agency to participate in a virtual focus group. Did you receive the email?

If no to “did you receive the email”:

Can you confirm your email address? I can send you another copy of the email after we get off the phone.

If yes or no to “did you receive the email”:

Do you have a moment so I can tell you about the invitation?

In [X month] your agency responded to a survey sent out by Mathematica on behalf of the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. That survey is part of the work we do at the Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Center. Mathematica and the Urban Institute work together at that Center to develop resources to help CCDF Lead Agencies do and use research. We create briefs, resource guides, and webinars.

Now your agency is being invited to participate in a follow up focus group to help our team learn more about your needs. The focus group will be held virtually so your team doesn’t need to travel anywhere. If you are interested, I would send you a link for you to register for a session, and you would log in with other CCDF Lead Agency administrators and lead research staff to talk with me about your agency’s research needs, interests, and strengths.

Does that sound like something you might be interested in doing?

• [If yes]

Great, I’m sending you an email now. It will come from [email protected]. The email has a Doodle Poll to fill out so that we can schedule your team for a particular session. It also has more information for your records about the purpose and format of the focus groups. Thanks so much for speaking with me today! The email from me should be in your in-box right now. Please respond as soon as you can so that I can send you the Doodle Poll.

• [If no] Are there any other questions I can answer for you? (Answer questions)

• [If no] Do you mind telling me why you don’t want to participate? (Record answer)

  • Thanks so much for your time. I appreciate you speaking with me today. I’m sorry your agency won’t be able to participate, but I understand. We won’t send you any more follow up emails about this. Thanks again for participating in the survey.

A12. Focus Group Registration Email

(send once group scheduled and resend if not registered in a couple of days)

Subject: Register for Your Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Center Focus Group

Dear [Administrator1FirstName],

Thank you for agreeing to participate in one of the Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Center Focus Groups! Based on your responses to the poll, we have scheduled you to participate in the Focus Group on [INSERT DATE] at [INSERT TIME, give all time zones].

Please register for this virtual focus group using this personalized link: [INSERT LINK]. When you register, you will get a calendar invite for the event. By registering for the focus group, you are confirming that you will participate.

Remember that to participate in the virtual focus group, you will need to reserve 90 minutes where you can:

• Be in front of computer screen, and use a webcam if you have one

• Have a stable internet connection

• Speak comfortably either using your computer’s microphone or a telephone or cell phone

• Be in a private place where people who are not invited to the focus group cannot see your screen or hear what others in the focus group are saying

If you are no longer able to participate at the time noted above, please let us know right away by emailing me at [email protected]. We will try our best but may not be able to schedule you in another focus group.

Thanks again for agreeing to participate and share your insights and experiences with us!

Please contact me at [email protected] or 202-261-5731 with any questions that you have.

Sincerely,

Teresa Derrick-Mills Focus Group Leader

The Child Care ECB Center

Contact Information: 202-261-5731, [email protected]

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 and expiration date for the described collection are OMB #: 0970-0356, Exp: 02/29/2024. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to The Urban Institute; 500 L’Enfant Plaza, SW; Washington, DC 20024, Attention: Teresa Derrick-Mills.

A13. Focus Group Reminder Email

(send 2 days before registered session)

Subject: Reminder of Your Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Center Focus Group

Dear [Administrator1FirstName],

Thank you for agreeing to participate in the Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Center Focus Groups scheduled for [INSERT DATE] at [INSERT TIME, give all time zones].

You will use the personalized link you were sent when you registered to enter the virtual focus group. We are using the [name of platform] platform. If you have lost your link, please email [INSERT EMAIL] and we will send you another one.

Remember that to participate in the virtual focus group, you will need to reserve 90 minutes where you can:

• Be in front of computer screen, and use a webcam if you have one

• Have a stable internet connection

• Speak comfortably either using your computer’s microphone or a telephone or cell phone

• Be in a private place where people who are not invited to the focus group cannot see your screen or hear what others in the focus group are saying

Thanks again for agreeing to participate and share your insights and experiences with us! If you are no longer able to participate at the designated time, please let us know right away by emailing us at [INSERT EMAIL]. We will try our best but may not be able to schedule you in another focus group. Please contact me at [email protected] or 202-261-5731 with any questions that you have.

Sincerely,

Teresa Derrick-Mills Focus Group Leader

The Child Care ECB Center

Contact Information: 202-261-5731, [email protected]

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 and expiration date for the described collection are OMB #: 0970-XXXX, Exp: 02/29/2024. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to The Urban Institute; 500 L’Enfant Plaza, SW; Washington, DC 20024, Attention: Teresa Derrick-Mills.

23