Appendix 1—Consent Language for Data Collection

Attachment 1—Consent Language for Data Collection

Hi, my name is [NAME] and I am a researcher at NORC at the University of Chicago. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today.

As you may recall from our email, we are reaching out to individuals who work at the program, state, and regional/federal levels in roles related to early childhood education financing, which includes you. We have some questions about different structures and governance, braided funding models and approaches, decision-making processes, and the benefits and challenges of different funding models from your perspective.

There are no right or wrong answers to any of our questions, and I do not expect you to know the answers to each of my questions. Our goal is to capture your experiences and figure out how policy implementation varies by state—which roles in which states hold certain information or have certain responsibilities. Do you have any questions about our overall goals?

It is important for me to be clear that your participation in this conversation is completely voluntary. If there are any questions you do not want to answer, just let me know and we can skip the question. You may also stop the interview at any time. The benefit to you is contribution to the broader field, and the risks are minimal since all information will be kept private. We expect the interview to last approximately one hour, but you can also end the interview at any time. There are no negative consequences for skipping a question or ending the interview. For your time and expertise today, I’m pleased to offer you a $50 gift card as a thank you. At the end of our time, I will ask how you would prefer to receive this gift card.

In addition, everything you say is kept private. We may use findings from the interview in a final report for ACF, and we may use the information you provide to inform future research studies. We may also include findings in public materials to share learnings and/or provide rationale for future study designs. Your answers will be combined with responses from all other participants, and your name will not be included if we use quotes.

I am required to let you know that federal law states that 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 data collection is XXXX-XXXX and the expiration date is XX/XX/2023. For any questions about the study, please feel free to contact Dr. Stacy Ehrlich Loewe, the NORC Project Director, at (773) 256-6087 or [email protected]. I will paste both Dr. Ehrlich Loewe’s contact information and the OMB number for our study in the chat for your reference.

Finally, I want to ask if you would be comfortable with me recording our conversation. We ask because this will allow us to transcribe what was said and ensure that we do not miss any details. The file will be kept private, and your name or affiliation will not be attached to any of your answers. You can also participate without being recorded. Are you okay with us recording the conversation?

Do you have any questions for me?

Do you consent to participate in the interview?