Appendix D. Joint Office of Head Start and Office of Child Care letter of support

Appendix D:

Joint Office of Head Start and Office of Child Care letter of support

TO: [NAME]

FROM: Bernadine Futrell, Ph.D., Director of the Office of Head Start, and Ruth Friedman, Ph.D., Director of the Office of Child Care

DATE: [DATE]

RE: The Early Head Start—Child Care Partnerships Sustainability Study

We are pleased to let you know you have the opportunity to take part in an important study, the Early Head Start—Child Care (EHS-CC) Partnerships Sustainability Study. The study is sponsored by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation in the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The study is being conducted by Mathematica, an independent research firm, and is a follow-up to the EHS-CC Partnerships National Descriptive Study. The EHS-CC Partnerships National Descriptive Study helped us learn an enormous amount about the EHS programs and child care providers who participated in the EHS-CC Partnerships grants in 2016. This new EHS-CC Partnership Sustainability Study is designed to follow-up with the EHS programs and child care providers to understand whether and how these partnerships have been sustained or dissolved, and which features of partnerships support or impede sustainability. The study will include web-based surveys with the EHS programs and child care providers who are current partners, or who are former partners if the partnerships are no longer active. There will also be interviews with some current and former child care provider partners.

For the EHS-CCP Sustainability Study to succeed, it is critical to have the participation of EHS programs and child care providers, whether they are currently partners or their partnerships have dissolved. The data we collect in this important effort will be used to guide planning and technical assistance and support providing high quality services to infants, toddlers, and their families through partnerships between EHS programs and child care providers.

Taking part in the study is completely voluntary. The information the study collects will only be used for research purposes, and findings will not be reported in any way that identifies you personally, or your business or organization.

On behalf of the Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Head Start and the Office of Child Care, we fully support this endeavor, and strongly encourage your participation. This work will not be possible without the participation of EHS program staff and child care providers who generously contribute their time and insights.

If you have any questions or concerns about participating, please contact the Mathematica project director, Patricia Del Grosso. You can reach her at (609) 945-6580.

[SIGNATURE] [SIGNATURE]
Bernadine Futrell, Ph.D. Ruth Friedman, Ph.D.

Director, Office of Head Start Director, Office of Child Care