Consent to Participate - For Child Care Center Directors

CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH

On The Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC)

For Child Care Center Directors

Your child care program is being asked to participate in a research project conducted by Berkeley Policy Associates (BPA), in partnership with WestEd and the University of Texas at Austin, with funding from the U.S. Department of Education. It is directed by Dr. Johannes Bos and Dr. Phyllis Weinstock of BPA and by Dr. Aletha Huston of the University of Texas. The purpose of this study is to learn whether the training provided by the Program for Infant Toddler Care (PITC) enhances the quality of child care and the skills of young children. Your program was selected as a possible participant in this study because of your interest in receiving training for infant/toddler caregivers. This form provides you with information about the study.

Please read the information below and ask questions about anything you don’t understand before deciding whether or not to participate. Your participation is entirely voluntary and you can refuse to participate without penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. You are being provided with a copy of this form to keep for your reference.

The PITC was developed by WestEd in 1985 in partnership with the California Department of Education and has since grown to be the major provider of infant and toddler caregiver training in the country. The PITC includes group training sessions and on-site coaching for each program. The PITC curriculum covers topics in Social and Emotional Growth, Group Care, Learning and Development, and Culture, Family, and Providers.

If you volunteer to participate in this study, we will ask you to distribute consent forms to the caregivers who work with children under the age of two in your program, as well as to the parents of those children. You and the other caregivers who agree to participate in the study will be asked to complete questionnaires about yourselves and your program. Some caregivers will be asked to complete a short information form about children whose parents have consented to their participation in the study. Your program will then participate in a baseline observational assessment that will address the characteristics of your program’s environment and caregiver-child interactions.

Of programs volunteering for the program and completing the initial questionnaire and observation, about half will be selected to participate in the PITC training immediately, and the remaining half will be given priority for the training in 2009. This selection will be based on chance, as in a lottery. The lottery will be conducted at BPA and a research staff member will notify you of your selection.

Your program will participate in a follow-up observation about twelve months after the baseline observation. You and your participating caregivers will be asked to complete questionnaires about your experiences in the PITC and any other infant/toddler training programs in which you have been involved. You will complete the observation and questionnaires even if you are on the waiting list for the PITC training.

As compensation for participation in the study, you and other caregivers will each receive a $25 gift card upon completion of the baseline questionnaires and again upon completion of the follow-up questionnaires. Each caregiver who completes the full PITC curriculum within 10-16 months and meets all PITC requirements will be eligible for professional growth incentives. These may include either academic credits OR $350 in the form of either cash or resource materials. You will not be required to pay for the training, and you will not be expected to pay staff for the time they spend in the training sessions outside their regular work hours.

In addition, your center will receive a $15 gift card per classroom, for up to two infant toddler classrooms, for collecting and submitting consent forms from parents and caregivers within two weeks. The center will receive the $15 for each classroom from which you collect forms from two to four caregivers and from half the parents of children under twenty-four months, regardless of whether parents choose to participate in the study or not.

There are no significant risks to the child care program or the individual participants as a result of participating in this study. Your participation in the research project may benefit your program, staff, and children by helping you to improve the quality of caregiving and by positively influencing children’s development. The results of the research may influence policy and promote public investments in quality child care and caregiver training.

Responses to this data collection will be used only for statistical purposes. The reports prepared for this study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific program or individual. We will not provide information that identifies you or your program to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law.

The privacy of the information collected about you and your program will be protected by keeping all paper data in locked files at the offices of WestEd, Berkeley Policy Associates or the University of Texas at Austin. All computer records will be kept in password-protected, secure storage under the direct control of the researchers.

Your participation in the program and in the research study is completely voluntary. If you volunteer to be in this study, you may withdraw at any time without consequences of any kind. If you have any questions or concerns about the research, please feel free to contact Phyllis Weinstock, Project Director, Berkeley Policy Associates, 440 Grand Avenue, Suite 500, Oakland, CA, 94610, (510) 465-7884. In addition, if you have questions about your rights as a research participant, or if you have complaints, concerns, or questions about the research, please contact Fannie Tseng, Human Subjects Protection Administrator, Berkeley Policy Associates, (510) 465-7884 or fannie@bpacal.com; or Independent Review Consulting at 800-472-3241 or subject@irb-irc.com.

SIGNATURE OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANT

I understand the procedures described above. My questions have been answered to my satisfaction, and I agree to participate in this study. I have been given a copy of this form.

________________________________________ ____________________________________________

Name of Participant (print clearly) Name and Address of Center

________________________________________ ______________

Signature of Participant Date

CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH

On The Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC)

For Infant/Toddler Staff of Child Care Centers

Your child care program is being asked to participate in a research project conducted by Berkeley Policy Associates (BPA), in partnership with WestEd and the University of Texas at Austin, with funding from the U.S. Department of Education. It is directed by Dr. Johannes Bos and Dr. Phyllis Weinstock of BPA and by Dr. Aletha Huston of the University of Texas. The purpose of this study is to learn whether the training provided by Program for Infant Toddler Care (PITC) enhances the quality of child care and the skills of young children. Your program was selected as a possible participant in this study because of your interest in receiving training for infant/toddler caregivers. This form provides you with information about the study.

Please read the information below and ask questions about anything you don’t understand before deciding whether or not to participate. Your participation is entirely voluntary and you can refuse to participate without penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. You are being provided with a copy of this form to keep for your reference.

The PITC was developed by WestEd in 1985 in partnership with the California Department of Education and has since grown to be the major provider of infant and toddler caregiver training in the country. The PITC includes group training sessions and on-site coaching for each program. The PITC curriculum covers topics in Social and Emotional Growth, Group Care, Learning and Development, and Culture, Family, and Providers.

If you volunteer to participate in this study, you will be asked to complete a questionnaire about yourself and your program. You may be asked to complete a short information form about children whose parents have consented to their participation in the study. Your program will then participate in a baseline observational assessment that will address the characteristics of your program’s environment and caregiver-child interactions.

Of programs volunteering for the program and completing the initial questionnaire and observation, about half will be selected to participate in the PITC training immediately, and the remaining half will be given priority for the training in 2009. This selection will be based on chance, as in a lottery. The lottery will be conducted at BPA and a research staff member will notify you of your selection.

Your program will participate in a follow-up observation about twelve months after the baseline observation. You and your participating caregivers will be asked to complete questionnaires about your experiences in the PITC and any other infant/toddler training programs in which you have been involved. You will complete the observation and questionnaires even if you are on the waiting list for the PITC training.

As compensation for your participation in the study, you and other caregivers will each receive a $25 gift card upon completion of the baseline questionnaires and again upon completion of the follow-up questionnaires. Each caregiver who completes the full PITC curriculum within 10-16 months and meets all PITC requirements will be eligible for professional growth incentives. These may include either academic credits OR $350 in the form of either cash or resource materials. You will not be required to pay for the training.

In addition, your center will receive a $15 gift card per classroom, for up to two infant toddler classrooms, for collecting and submitting consent forms from parents and caregivers within two weeks. The center will receive the $15 for each classroom from which you collect forms from two to four caregivers and from half the parents of children under twenty-four months, regardless of whether parents choose to participate in the study or not.

There are no significant risks to the child care program or the individual participants as a result of participating in this study. Your participation in the research project may benefit your program, staff, and children by helping you to improve the quality of caregiving and by positively influencing children’s development. The results of the research may influence policy and promote public investments in quality child care and caregiver training.

Responses to this data collection will be used only for statistical purposes. The reports prepared for this study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific program or individual. We will not provide information that identifies you or your program to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law.

The privacy of the information collected about you and your program will be protected by keeping all paper data in locked files at the offices of West Ed, Berkeley Policy Associates or the University of Texas at Austin. All computer records will be kept in password-protected, secure storage under the direct control of the researchers.

Your participation in the program and in the research study is completely voluntary. If you volunteer to be in this study, you may withdraw at any time without consequences of any kind. If you have any questions or concerns about the research, please feel free to contact Phyllis Weinstock, Project Director, Berkeley Policy Associates, 440 Grand Avenue, Suite 500, Oakland, CA, 94610, (510) 465-7884. In addition, if you have questions about your rights as a research participant, or if you have complaints, concerns, or questions about the research, please contact Fannie Tseng, Human Subjects Protection Administrator, Berkeley Policy Associates, (510) 465-7884 or fannie@bpacal.com; or Independent Review Consulting at 800-472-3241 or subject@irb-irc.com.

SIGNATURE OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANT

I understand the procedures described above. My questions have been answered to my satisfaction, and I agree to participate in this study. I have been given a copy of this form.

________________________________________ _________________________________

Name of Participant (print clearly) Name of Center

________________________________________ ______________

Signature of Participant Date

IRB 2006-05-0010t

CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH

On The Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC)

For Family Child Care Providers

Your child care program is being asked to participate in a research project conducted by Berkeley Policy Associates (BPA), in partnership with WestEd and the University of Texas at Austin, with funding from the U.S. Department of Education. It is directed by Dr. Johannes Bos and Dr. Phyllis Weinstock of BPA and by Dr. Aletha Huston of the University of Texas. The purpose of this study is to learn whether the training provided by Program for Infant Toddler Care (PITC) enhances the quality of child care and the skills of young children. Your program was selected as a possible participant in this study because of your interest in receiving training for infant/toddler caregivers. This form provides you with information about the study.

Please read the information below and ask questions about anything you don’t understand before deciding whether or not to participate. Your participation is entirely voluntary and you can refuse to participate without penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. You are being provided with a copy of this form to keep for your reference.

The PITC was developed by WestEd in 1985 in partnership with the California Department of Education and has since grown to be the major provider of infant and toddler caregiver training in the country. The PITC includes group training sessions and on-site coaching for each program. The PITC curriculum covers topics in Social and Emotional Growth, Group Care, Learning and Development, and Culture, Family, and Providers.

If you volunteer to participate in this study, the person in charge of your program will be asked to distribute consent forms to parents of children under the age of two who attend your program, as well as to any caregivers who work with those children in your program. You will be asked to complete a questionnaire about yourself and your program and to complete a short information form about children whose parents have consented to their participation in the study. Your program will then participate in a baseline observational assessment that will address the characteristics of your program’s environment and caregiver-child interactions.

Of programs volunteering for the program and completing the initial questionnaire and observation, about half will be selected to participate in the PITC training immediately, and the remaining half will be given priority for the training in 2009. This selection will be based on chance, as in a lottery. The lottery will be conducted at BPA and a research staff member will notify you of your selection.

If you choose to participate, your program will participate in a follow-up observation about twelve months after the baseline observation. You and your participating caregivers will be asked to complete questionnaires about your experiences in the PITC and any other infant/toddler training programs in which you have been involved. You will complete the observation and questionnaires even if you are on the waiting list for the PITC training.

As compensation for your participation in the study, you and other caregivers will each receive a $25 gift card upon completion of the baseline questionnaires and again upon completion of the follow-up questionnaires. Each caregiver who completes the full PITC curriculum within 10-16 months and meets all PITC requirements will be eligible for professional growth incentives. These may include either academic credits OR $350 in the form of either cash or resource materials. You will not be required to pay for the training and you will not be expected to pay staff for the time they spend in the training sessions outside their regular work hours.

In addition, your program will receive a $15 gift card for submitting to BPA, within two weeks, signed consent forms from all parents of children under the age of twenty-four months, whether or not the parents agree to participate in the study.

There are no significant risks to the child care program or the individual participants as a result of participating in this study. Your participation in the research project may benefit your program, staff, and children by helping you to improve the quality of caregiving and by positively influencing children’s development. The results of the research may influence policy and promote public investments in quality child care and caregiver training.

Responses to this data collection will be used only for statistical purposes. The reports prepared for this study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific program or individual. We will not provide information that identifies you or your program to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law.

The privacy of the information collected about you and your program will be protected by keeping all paper data in locked files at the offices of WestEd, Berkeley Policy Associates or the University of Texas at Austin. All computer records will be kept in password-protected, secure storage under the direct control of the researchers.

Your participation in the program and in the research study is completely voluntary. If you volunteer to be in this study, you may withdraw at any time without consequences of any kind. If you have any questions or concerns about the research, please feel free to contact Phyllis Weinstock, Project Director, Berkeley Policy Associates, 440 Grand Avenue, Suite 500, Oakland, CA, 94610, (510) 465-7884. In addition, if you have questions about your rights as a research participant, or if you have complaints, concerns, or questions about the research, please contact Fannie Tseng, Human Subjects Protection Administrator, Berkeley Policy Associates, (510) 465-7884 or fannie@bpacal.com; or Independent Review Consulting at 800-472-3241 or subject@irb-irc.com.

SIGNATURE OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANT

I understand the procedures described above. My questions have been answered to my satisfaction, and I agree to participate in this study. I have been given a copy of this form.

________________________________________ _________________________________

Name of Participant (print clearly) Address

________________________________________ ______________

Signature of Participant Date

UTID hustonac

CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH

On The Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC)

For Parents/Guardians

Your child care program is interested in receiving training from the Program for Infant Toddler Care (PITC). The training is designed to enhance the quality of child care and the skills of young children. You and your child are being asked to participate in a research project designed to evaluate the effects of that training on child care and on children’s development. The research is conducted by Berkeley Policy Associates (BPA), in partnership with WestEd and the University of Texas at Austin, with funding from the U.S. Department of Education. It is directed by Dr. Johannes Bos and Dr. Phyllis Weinstock of BPA and by Dr. Aletha Huston of the University of Texas.

Please read all the information below and ask any questions you have before deciding to participate. You will receive a $10 gift card for reading and signing this form and completing the attached questionnaire and you will receive a copy of this consent form, even if you indicate below that you do not want to participate in this study.

Your child care program will be observed by a researcher for one morning at the beginning of the study and another morning about twelve months later. If you choose to participate in the research, your child’s caregiver will be asked to provide some information about your child. In addition, you and your child will take part in two individual sessions with a researcher. Before each session, the researcher will mail you a questionnaire about your family, your child, and the child care arrangements you use. You will be asked to fill out the questionnaire before the researcher arrives, and the researcher will collect the completed questionnaire at the end of the session. Each session will take about one hour, or up to one and one half hours if the questionnaire needs to be completed during the session. The first session will take place a little more than year from now, and about a year later the second will take place. During each session, the researcher will ask you questions about your family and your child, and a researcher will play with your child using standard techniques to measure your child’s language, thinking, and social skills. You will receive a $50 gift card for your time upon completion of each session, including completion of the child observation/interview and the parent questionnaire. This means that if you sign below and complete the attached form, and complete both sessions over the next two years, you will receive a total of $110 in gift cards.

It is important to understand that participation in this study is completely voluntary for you and your child. You and your child may withdraw at any time without penalty and without any consequences for your child care situation or for the provider. If your child appears uncomfortable during the observation or interview, the researcher will stop the session.

Responses to this data collection will be used only for statistical purposes. The reports prepared for this study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific program or individual. We will not provide information that identifies you or your family to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law.

The privacy of the information collected about you and your program will be protected by keeping all paper data in locked files at the offices of WestEd, Berkeley Policy Associates or the University of Texas at Austin. All computer records will be kept in password-protected, secure storage under the direct control of the researchers.

There are no known risks associated with this study. Your child may benefit from improvements in the quality of caregiving from the PITC training. In addition, the results of the research may influence policy and promote public investments in quality child care and caregiver training.

If you have any questions or concerns about the research, please feel free to contact Phyllis Weinstock, Project Director, Berkeley Policy Associates, 440 Grand Avenue, Suite 500, Oakland, CA, 94610, (510) 465-7884. In addition, if you have questions about your rights as a research participant, or if you have complaints, concerns, or questions about the research, please contact Fannie Tseng, Human Subjects Protection Administrator, Berkeley Policy Associates, (510) 465-7884 or fannie@bpacal.com; or Independent Review Consulting at 800-472-3241 or subject@irb-irc.com.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

By my signature, I agree to participate in this study. I am being provided a copy of the study description.

I.

________________________________________

(SIGNATURE OF PARENT/GUARDIAN)

By my signature, I agree to allow the following child(ren) to participate in this study. I acknowledge that the child(ren)'s answers are private.

(CHILD'S NAME- PRINT CLEARLY)

(CHILD'S NAME- PRINT CLEARLY)

II.

(SIGNATURE OF PARENT/GUARDIAN) (DATE)

________________________________________

(PARENT’S NAME – PRINT CLEARLY)

___ No, I do not agree to participate in this study. I am being provided a copy of the study description.

III.

_________________________________________________ (SIGNATURE OF PARENT/GUARDIAN) (DATE)

12-01-06