Survey of Child Care and Early Education Supply-Building and Sustainability Efforts

OMB Control No.: 0970-0356

Expiration Date: 2/29/2024

Length of time for survey: 30 minutes

Understanding the Supply Building and Sustainability Efforts of the Child Care and Early Education Market

Environmental Scan Survey of Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Lead Agencies

Consent Form and Survey Questionnaire

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 30 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing the consent language and completing the web survey. This information collection 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. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: Urban Institute, 500 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 20037.

Survey Introduction and Consent

The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has contracted with the Urban Institute, a nonprofit social and economic research organization based in Washington D.C., to conduct a study of the child care and early education (CCEE) supply-building and sustainability efforts that states and territories are undertaking.

Your responses to this voluntary survey will inform ACF and may strengthen future efforts to build and sustain CCEE supply. The study team will use the information gathered to plan the next project stage, including possible opportunities to participate in case studies.

This survey should be completed by the CCDF Lead Administrator or a Co-Lead Administrator in your agency, in conjunction with the people who know the most about the supply-building and sustaining efforts underway.

This survey will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.

Your participation is voluntary, and you have the right to stop at any time. If you choose to participate, you can decline to answer specific questions. Your answers and whether or not you chose to respond will not impact any support or funding your agency currently receives from ACF.

All responses will be kept private by ACF and the contractors doing this survey. There are no anticipated personal risks or benefits to participating in this research. Your survey responses will be maintained with the identity of your agency and shared within ACF, and your responses may be linked with publicly available information about your agency’s state or territory for the purpose of internal analysis and reporting. Although individual survey respondents will not be named in study products, ACF will have access to your responses and may be able to infer your identity due to the unique nature of your position. Again, your answers and whether or not you choose to respond will not impact any support or funding your agency currently receives from ACF. Some findings that do not identify specific agencies may be made public.

This survey is being administered by the Urban Institute on behalf of ACF under OMB No. 0970-0356. .

Do you consent to participate in this survey?

Yes
No

[IF CONSENT=Yes, SKIP to questionnaire]

[IF CONSENT=No, EXIT survey and DISPLAY this message: “If you clicked “No” by mistake and would like to participate in the survey, please contact [email protected].]

Preloaded information:

“GOVERNMENT”= state/territory

“GOVTNAME” = name of state/territory

Questionnaire

When responding to this survey, we ask you to think about the various strategies or initiatives your CCDF Lead Agency administers or funds to increase or maintain the number of center-based or home-based CCEE programs or facilities, or the number of slots or space in CCEE programs available to children from birth through age 12.

The survey will ask you to identify and describe two of these strategies.

As you consider which of the strategies your CCDF Lead Agency is involved with to describe, please keep the following in mind:

• The strategies you identify should be partially or fully funded by CCDF or COVID-19 Relief Funds your CCDF Lead Agency is charged with administering.

• The strategies should be underway or started within the past 5 years.

• The strategies may be designed to support families of all children broadly, or could be focused on particular groups (e.g., families of infants and toddlers, families of children with special needs) or children who live in particular communities (e.g., families of children in rural areas).

• The strategies may be designed to support families of all income levels, or could be focused on families of children receiving or eligible for a child care subsidy.

• The strategies may:

• expand available space or increase the number of slots (e.g., creating new facilities),

• redistribute slots or convert available space to better meet families’ needs (e.g., transform 3-4-year-old spaces to serve infants and toddlers; reduce first shift care to increase overnight care, etc.),

• increase the number of quality programs and slots in quality programs, or

• help support programs so they can better sustain their businesses over time.

Note: Although we recognize that workforce-related strategies are increasingly important for thinking about CCEE supply building/sustaining, this project is NOT primarily interested in strategies that are directly related to expanding CCEE through increased workforce compensation.

For each strategy, you will be asked to describe various details about the strategies, including the goals and scope of the strategy, how the strategy is funded, the organizations or groups involved in designing and implementing it, the ways you are tracking progress, and any information regarding past or ongoing evaluations and future evaluation plans. While we understand some details may not yet be known or finalized, please answer all questions to the best of your ability. You may respond to the questions in consultation with your staff members who know the most about the strategies you are reporting on.

Section A. Identifying CCDF Lead Agencies’ Supply Building/Sustaining Strategies

A1. Who is completing this survey?

CCDF Lead Administrator

CCDF Co-Lead Administrator

Other; please write-in your role:

A2a. Please provide the name of the FIRST supply-building/sustaining strategy that you would like to tell us about.

We will reference this strategy’s name throughout the survey. Do not feel the need to use this space describe the strategy in depth; you will have the opportunity to do so later in subsequent questions.

Reminder, we want to know about strategies:

• currently underway (could have been started within the past 5 years)

• partially or fully funded by CCDF or COVID-19 Relief Funds your CCDF Lead Agency is charged with administering

• support families of children ranging in age from birth to 12 years old (may be all children or certain age groups)

• may be related to any approved CCDF activity, EXCLUDING strategies specifically intended to support increased pay or career pipelines for the workforce

[open text field]

Section B. Scope and Goals of Strategies

For the following set of questions, please think about [StrategyName1].

B1. Please mark the activities or components below that best describe StrategyName1.

Subsidy policy or rate change

Licensing or other regulatory change

Child care zoning (e.g., changes to zoning that allow child care to operate in new spaces, at new times, or with more children)

Competitive grant or contract for existing or potential/new child care operators, or for organizations to support child care changes in their communities

Noncompetitive grant or contract for existing or potential/new child care operators, or for organizations to support child care changes in their communities

Loan

Training

Technical assistance

Technology systems (e.g., computers and/or computer database systems provided to child care operators to support more efficient operations)

Business supports (e.g., shared services alliance)

Provider networks (e.g., membership in a group of providers that supports program operation)

Other, please specify:

B2. In 1-3 sentences, please describe the key objective your [GOVERNMENT] is trying to achieve with [StrategyName1].

[open text field]

B3. Which of the following best characterizes the goal of [StrategyName1]? Please mark all that apply.

Create new child care centers or home-based child care programs

Expand available space or increase the number of child care slots in existing homes and/or centers

Sustain child care supply so existing programs can keep their current offerings and stay open

Convert child care space or slots to serve a different group of children based on demand or community needs

Increase the number of quality programs or increase the number of slots in quality programs

Other, please specify:

[If Convert child care spaces is selected, show B3a.]

B3a. You indicated some child care slots were being converted. Please briefly explain which children were initially served by these slots, as well as which children are being served by the newly converted slots.

[open text field]

B4. Does this strategy explicitly focus on building or sustaining any of the following care setting types? Please select all that apply.

Center-based

Home-based

School-based

No; this strategy is broad/does not focus on a particular care setting type

B5. Does this strategy explicitly focus on programs by license/regulation status (e.g., regulated, licensed, or license-exempt programs)? Please select all that apply.

Regulated

Licensed

License-exempt

Other, specify:

No; this strategy does not focus on programs by license/regulation status

B6. Which child age groups does this strategy focus on? Please mark all that apply. Infants (birth-12 months)

Toddlers (12 months-35 months)

Preschool-age (3-5 years)

School-age (5-12 years)

B7. Does this strategy explicitly focus on building or sustaining care supply for any of the following groups (as defined by the Lead Agency)? Please mark all that apply.

Children in underserved areas

Children with disabilities or special needs

Children living with families from low incomes

Children experiencing homelessness

Children needing nontraditional-hour care

Children living in rural areas

Care for children living in areas with concentrated poverty and unemployment

Other, please describe:

No; this strategy is broad/does not focus on building supply for particular groups of children

B8. Which of the following best describes the geographic scope of this strategy?

Across whole [GOVERNMENT]

County/set of counties

City/town, or sets of cities/towns

Unincorporated rural or frontier areas

Tribal communities

Other, please specify:

B9. Why did you focus the strategy on these groups or in these places? Please describe in 1-3 brief sentences.

[open text field]

B10. In what year did [StrategyName1] begin? Your best guess is fine.

[select year from dropdown]

B11. In what year will [StrategyName1] end?

[select year or “not applicable” from dropdown]

B12. When you think about how [StrategyName1] was implemented, would you say:

It was rolled out or implemented all at once (e.g., everyone began participating on the same date; a policy went into effect on the same date)

It was rolled out or implemented at different times (e.g., programs could apply for a grant throughout an application window)

[If rolled out/implemented all at once, skip to B13. Otherwise, continue.]

B12a. You indicated [StrategyName1] was rolled out or implemented at different times. Was this intentional?

Yes

No

Not sure

B13. Is there an application or review process to determine who is eligible to participate in [StrategyName1]?

Yes

No

Not applicable (e.g., everyone is eligible)

[If B13=Yes, continue. If B13=No/Not Applicable, skip to B14.]

B13a. You indicated there is an application or review process to determine who is eligible to participate in [StrategyName1]. Please list the criteria used to determine eligibility below.

[open text field]

B14. Please describe in 1-3 sentences how [StrategyName1] is addressing the objective you identified.

[open text field]

B15. Do you have any publicly posted materials you could link to that describe the strategy? If so, please insert link here:

[open text field]

Section C. Funding Sources and Strategy Planning

For the following questions on funding and planning, please continue to think about [StrategyName1].

C1. Which of the following funding sources support this strategy? In the first column, please select the funding sources that have ever supported this strategy. In the second column, please select only the funding sources that currently support this strategy.

	Ever supported this strategy	Currently supports this strategy
CCDF funds
Federal COVID-19 relief funding
Preschool Development Grant Birth-5 (PDG B-5)
Head Start/Early Head Start/Migrant Head Start
Economic development funds
Community development funds
State funds
Philanthropic

C2. Who was involved in the planning of this strategy? Select all that apply.

CCDF Lead Agency

Other governmental agencies

Child care resource and referral agencies

Community colleges, universities, and/or training programs

Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs)

Other non-profit organizations

Child care and early education providers

Parents

Other, specify:

C3. Which of the following data sources were used in planning the strategy? Select all that apply.

Analysis of program administrative data

Analysis of secondary data (e.g., Census data on poverty rates)

Data collected from child care providers (e.g., surveys, interviews)

Data collected from families (e.g., listening sessions, focus groups)

Data collected from community partners or other interested groups

Other, please specify:

None

Section D. Implementation of Strategy

D1. What organization(s) are charged with implementing [StrategyName1]?

[open text field]

D2. What methods are being used to track implementation of this strategy? Please select all that apply.

Program administrative data

Surveys, interviews, and/or focus groups with administrators, agencies, or other individuals involved in implementation

Surveys, interviews, and/or focus groups with child care providers, early educators, and/or staff who are participating or involved in implementation

Surveys, interviews, and/or focus groups with families involved or who could be affected

Other, please specify:

No methods are being used at this time

D3. Please tell us what kinds of information you are collecting on this strategy.

Information on number of participants or program take-up

Information on characteristics of the participants

Participant satisfaction

Consistency of implementation

Expenditure data (e.g., how providers are spending grant funds)

Other, specify:

We are not collecting any information at this time

Section E. Tracking Progress and Results

E1. Does your Lead Agency track progress on or assess results from [StrategyName1]?

Yes

No, but we have plans to/would like to

No, and we don’t have plans to

[If E1=No, skip to E2. Otherwise, continue.]

E1a. Who is involved in tracking progress and results? Please select all that apply.

CCDF Lead Agency staff

Organizations contracted by the CCDF Lead Agency

Our research partners funded through a federal Child Care Policy Research Partnership Grant

Other contracted research partners

Other, specify:

E2. Please identify up to three things you are looking for to determine if [StrategyName1] has been successful (e.g., increase in number of children served).

Indicator 1:

Indicator 2:

Indicator 3:

E3. Has your Lead Agency formally evaluated the impact of [StrategyName1] or does it plan to?

Yes, an evaluation was previously conducted

Yes, an evaluation is currently underway

Yes, there are plans in place to conduct a formal evaluation in the future

No, but we would like to

No, and we do not plan to

Unsure

[If E3=No, END QUESTIONS IN THIS SECTION. If E3=Yes, continue to E4.]

E4. Who led or will lead the evaluation? Select all that apply.

A team within the CCDF Lead Agency

An external evaluator

Other, please specify who: ­­­­­­_____________

E5. Are there products (e.g., report, website page) describing these evaluations (either ongoing or underway) that have been released? If yes, please list the titles and/or the URLs of products you’re able to share.

[open text field]

-------------- [end loop]

Thank you for helping us learn more about [StrategyName1].

A2b. Is there a SECOND supply building/sustaining strategy your [GOVERNMENT] is implementing?

Yes

No

[If A2b=No, SKIP to Section F. If A2b=Yes, continue.]

A2c. Please provide the name of this SECOND supply-building/sustaining strategy..

We will reference this strategy’s name throughout the survey. Do not feel the need to use this space describe the strategy in depth; you will have the opportunity to do so later in subsequent questions.

Reminder, we want to know about strategies:

• currently underway (could have been started within the past 5 years)

• partially or fully funded by CCDF or COVID-19 Relief Funds your CCDF Lead Agency is charged with administering

• support families of children ranging in age from birth to 12 years old (may be all children or certain age groups)

• may be related to any approved CCDF activity, EXCLUDING strategies specifically intended to support increased pay or career pipelines for the workforce

[open text field]

[Loop through Sections B-E for StrategyName2]

Section F. Other Strategies

F1. Is your [GOVERNMENT] implementing or planning to implement any other strategies to build or sustain supply that you’d like to mention? If so, please share a brief description.

[open text field]

Thank you for your participation.

[end survey]

22

Understanding the Supply Building and Sustainability Efforts of the Child Care and Early Education Market OMB Supporting Documents: Survey of CCDF Lead Agencies