FPRQ Appendices Updated March 2012

OMB Control Number: 0970-0355

Expiration Date: 1/31/2015

APPENDIX G:

FPRQ Email and Text Message Reminder of Interview

3/16/12

Thank you for agreeing to participate in the research study to better understand the relationships between parents and those who care for/teach their children. This is a reminder that your interview is scheduled for [TIME] on [DATE] at [LOCATION]. If you have any questions or need to reschedule, please contact us at 1-202-553-2900 or 1-888-418-4585. Thanks!

APPENDIX H:

FPRQ Cognitive Interviews – Website and Newspaper Advertisements

3/16/12

ATTENTION CHILD CARE CENTER DIRECTORS!

Do you…

• Serve families with children between the ages of 0-5?

• Work as a director of a:

  • Pre-school, or

  • Child care center?

We want to hear about relationships between families and those that care for and/or teach their children. This information will help us improve survey questions for an important study.

You will be paid $50 for participating in a 2-hour interview.

If interested, contact Child Trends, a nonprofit research center, toll free at 1-888-418-4585 or 202-553-2900 to see if you are eligible to participate.

ATTENTION HEAD START

CENTER DIRECTORS!

Do you…

• Serve families with children between the ages of 0-5?

• Work as a director of a:

  • Head Start, or

  • Early Head Start center?

We want to hear about relationships between families and those who care for and/or teach their children. This information will help us improve survey questions for an important study.

You will be paid $50 for participating in a 2-hour interview.

If interested, contact Child Trends, a nonprofit research center, toll free at 1-888-418-4585 or 202-553-2900 to see if you are eligible to participate.

ATTENTION HEAD START STAFF!

Do you…

• Serve children between the ages of 0-5?

• Work as a Head Start center as a:

• a Family Service Worker;

• a teacher

• or teacher’s aide or assistant?

We want to hear about teachers and Family Service Workers’ relationships with the families they serve. This information will help us improve survey questions for an important study.

You will be paid $50 for participating in a 2-hour interview.

If interested, contact Child Trends, a nonprofit research center, toll free at 1-888-418-4585 or 202-553-2900 to see if you are eligible to participate.

ATTENTION PRESCHOOL TEACHERS and

CHILD CARE PROVIDERS!

Do you…

• Serve children between the ages of 0-5?

• Work at a:

  • Pre-school,

  • (Early) Head Start,

  • Child care center, or

  • Home-based day care center?

We want to hear about relationships between families and those who care for and/or teach their children. This information will help us improve survey questions for an important study.

You will be paid $50 for participating in a 2-hour interview.

If interested, contact Child Trends, a nonprofit research center, toll free at 1-888-418-4585 or 202-553-2900 to see if you are eligible to participate.

ATTENTION HOME-BASED CHILD CARE PROVIDERS!

Do you…

• Serve children between the ages of 0-5?

• Provide care for children out of your home or at someone else’s home?

We want to hear about relationships between child care providers and the families they serve. This information will help us improve survey questions for an important study.

You will be paid $50 for participating in a 2-hour interview.

If interested, contact Child Trends, a nonprofit research center, toll free at 1-888-418-4585 or

202-553-2900 to see if you are eligible to participate.

ATTENTION PARENTS!

Do you…

• Have a child between 0-5 years of age?

• Is your child attending a:

  • Pre-school,

  • (Early) Head Start,

  • Child care center,

  • Home-based day care center, or

  • Family child care?

We want to hear about relationships between parents and their children’s child care providers and/or teachers. This information will help us improve survey questions for an important study.

You will be paid $50 for participating in a 2-hour interview. 

If interested, contact Child Trends, a nonprofit research center, toll free at 1-888-418-4585 or 202-553-2900 to see if you are eligible to participate.

APPENDIX I:

FPRQ Cognitive Interviews – Study Fliers

3/16/12

Do you…

• Serve families with children between the ages of 0-5?

• Work as a director of a:

  • Pre-school, or

  • Child care center?

We want to hear about relationships between families and those who care for or teach their children. This information will help us improve survey questions for an important study.

You will be paid $50 for participating in a 2-hour interview.

Contact Child Trends, a nonprofit research center,

at 1-888-418-4585 or 202-553-2900 to see if you are eligible to participate.

Do you…

• Serve families with children between the ages of 0-5?

• Work as a director of a:

  • Head Start, or

  • Early Head Start?

We want to hear about relationships between families and those who care for or teach their children. This information will help us improve survey questions for an important study.

You will be paid $50 for participating in a 2-hour interview.

Contact Child Trends, a nonprofit research center,

at 1-888-418-4585 or 202-553-2900 to see if you are eligible to participate.

Are you…

• Do you serve children between the ages of 0-5?

• Work at a Head Start center as a:

  • Family Service Worker,

  • A teacher, or

  • Teacher’s aide or assistant?

We want to hear about teachers and Family Service Workers’ relationships with the families they serve. This information will help us improve survey questions for an important study.

You will be paid $50 for participating in a 2-hour interview.

Contact Child Trends, a nonprofit research center,

at 1-888-418-4585 or 202-553-2900 to see if you are eligible to participate.

Do you…

• Serve children between the ages of 0-5?

• Work at a:

  • Pre-school,

  • (Early) Head Start,

  • Child care center,

  • Home-based day care center, or

  • Family child care?

We want to hear about relationships between teachers andchild care providers and the families they serve. This information will help us improve survey questions for an important study.

You will be paid $50 for participating in a 2-hour interview.

Contact Child Trends, a nonprofit research center,

at 1-888-418-4585 or 202-553-2900 to see if you are eligible to participate.

Do you…

• Provide care for children out of your home or at someone else’s home?

• Serve children between the ages of 0-5?

We want to hear about relationships between child care providers and the families they serve. This information will help us improve survey questions for an important study.

You will be paid $50 for participating in a 2-hour interview.

Contact Child Trends, a nonprofit research center,

at 1-888-418-4585 or 202-553-2900 to see if you are eligible to participate.

Appendix J: Parent Community Flyer

D o you…

• Have a child between 0-5 years of age?

• Is your child attending a:

  • Pre-school,

  • (Early) Head Start,

  • Child care center,

  • Home-based day care center, or

  • Family child care?

We want to about relationships between parents and their children’s care providers and/or teachers. This information will help us improve survey questions for an important study.

You will be paid $50 for participating in a 2-hour interview.

Contact Child Trends, a nonprofit research center,

at 1-888-418-4585 or 202-553-2900 to see if you are eligible to participate.

APPENDIX J:

FPRQ Cognitive Interviews – Script for Program Recruitment

3/16/12

Hi my name is ___________. I am a [NAME POSITION] at Child Trends, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research center that studies children at all stages of development.  (Our mission is to improve outcomes for children by providing research, data, and analysis to the people and institutions whose decisions and actions affect children.)

Child Trends is conducting a research study on the relationships between parents and those who care for or teach their children, as well as Family Service Workers in Head Start programs. We are in the process of developing a survey about what is important in these relationships, and we will be conducting interviews with parents, providers, teachers, and staff who work with families to help us improve the questions that have been written. We are currently recruiting parents of children ages 5 and younger as well as individuals who provide care for or teach young children [IF HEAD START: and those who work directly with families].

We are asking for your help in recruiting participants for our study. We would need your permission to hang fliers at your study site [IF LOCAL PROGRAM: and visit your program to describe the study to your teachers/assistants and parents at a convenient time for you]. We would also appreciate your help spreading the word to teachers/assistants and parents.

Is this something you would be interested in helping us with?

[INTERVIEWER: Answer any questions R may have and indicate whether program can help in any or all of the above ways.]

IF YES: Great!

IF LOCAL PROGRAM: When would be a good time to visit your program and/or to drop off some flyers?

Time/date _________________________________________________

IF NON-LOCAL PROGRAM: We’d like to send you the fliers. Can we get your mailing address?

Mailing Address­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­______________________________________________

IF NO: Thank you for your time.

APPENDIX K:

FPRQ Cognitive Interviews – Individual Sign-Up Sheet

3/16/12

Individual Sign-Up Sheet

Sign up here to get more information about a study on relationships between families and their child care providers. Your information will remain private to the extent permitted by law.

Name: ___________________________________________

Home Phone Number: _____________________________­­­­­­­_

Cell Phone Number: ­________________________________

Email: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­____________________________________________

Best Time to Reach You: ____________________________

Please hand your completed sign-up sheet to _______________.

APPENDIX L:

FPRQ Cognitive Interviews - Thank you letter for telephone interviews

3/16/12

4301 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 350

Washington, DC 20008

Phone (202) 572-6000

Fax (202) 362-8420

www.childtrends.org

www.childtrendsdatabank.org

[DATE]

Dear ____________,

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this important research study to better understand the relationships between parents and those who care for, or teach, their children. This study is being conducted by Child Trends, a nonprofit research organization in Washington, DC, on behalf of the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. We are in the process of developing a survey about what is important in relationships between parents and early child care and education providers, and teachers; we will be conducting a series of interviews with parents, child care providers, early childhood teachers, and Family Service Workers to help us improve the questions we are working on. Your information will be kept private to the extent permitted by law.

Enclosed is a packet containing a copy of the questionnaire and other material that we will go over during the interview. We ask that you do not review the material before your interview since it is important that we get your feedback to the material as you first read them. During the phone interview, we will ask you to complete the interview one section at a time. At the end of each section or question, we will ask you to describe how you arrived at your answers, what the questions meant to you, and how clear the instructions were to you. Your responses will help us design better questions.

Also, enclosed with this letter is a copy of the consent form describing the study, your rights as a study participant, and other important information. We ask that you read the consent form before the interview. We will also review this form before we begin the interview, and you will have an opportunity to ask any questions before we begin.

We look forward to your interview on [DATE] at [TIME]. Our records show that you gave the following phone number, (XXX-XXX-XXXX) as the number to reach you for the interview. If this changes, please contact us at the number below.

The day before your interview you will also receive a reminder call from Child Trends. If you have any questions, feel free to call 1-202-553-2900 or the study toll free number 1-888-418-4585. Thank you for your participation.

Sincerely,

Lina Guzman, PhD

Principal Investigator

APPENDIX M:

FPRQ Cognitive Interviews - Thank you letter for in-person interviews

3/16/12

4301 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 350

Washington, DC 20008

Phone (202) 572-6000

Fax (202) 362-8420

www.childtrends.org

www.childtrendsdatabank.org

[DATE]

Dear ____________,

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this important research study to better understand the relationships between parents and those who care for, or teach, their children. This study is being conducted by Child Trends, a nonprofit research organization in Washington, DC, on behalf of the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

We are in the process of developing a survey about what is important in relationships between parents and early care and education providers, and teachers. We will be conducting interviews with parents, child care providers, early childhood teachers, and Family Service Workers to help us improve the questions we are working on. Your information and the information you tell us will be kept private to the extent permitted by law.

We look forward to meeting you on [DATE] at [TIME] at [LOCATION]. [If email: Please click on the link below to access the Google map.] [If via regular mail: We have enclosed a map, as well as, bus/driving directions to the location of the interview.]

Enclosed with this letter is a copy of the consent form describing the study, your rights as a study participant, and other important information. We ask that you read the consent form before the interview. We will also review this form before we begin the interview, and you will have an opportunity to ask any questions before we begin.

The day before your interview you will also receive a reminder call from Child Trends. If you have any questions, feel free to call 1-202-553-2900 or the study toll free number 1-888-418-4585. Thank you for your participation.

Sincerely,

Lina Guzman, PhD

Principal Investigator

APPENDIX M:

FPRQ Cognitive Interviews - Thank you letter for in-person interviews

3/16/12

4301 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 350

Washington, DC 20008

Phone (202) 572-6000

Fax (202) 362-8420

www.childtrends.org

www.childtrendsdatabank.org

[DATE]

Dear ____________,

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this important research study to better understand the relationships between parents and those who care for, or teach, their children. This study is being conducted by Child Trends, a nonprofit research organization in Washington, DC, on behalf of the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

We are in the process of developing a survey about what is important in relationships between parents and early care and education providers, and teachers. We will be conducting interviews with parents, child care providers, early childhood teachers, and Family Service Workers to help us improve the questions we are working on. Your information and the information you tell us will be kept private to the extent permitted by law.

We look forward to meeting you on [DATE] at [TIME] at [LOCATION]. [If email: Please click on the link below to access the Google map.] [If via regular mail: We have enclosed a map, as well as, bus/driving directions to the location of the interview.]

Enclosed with this letter is a copy of the consent form describing the study, your rights as a study participant, and other important information. We ask that you read the consent form before the interview. We will also review this form before we begin the interview, and you will have an opportunity to ask any questions before we begin.

The day before your interview you will also receive a reminder call from Child Trends. If you have any questions, feel free to call 1-202-553-2900 or the study toll free number 1-888-418-4585. Thank you for your participation.

Sincerely,

Lina Guzman, PhD

Principal Investigator

APPENDIX P:

FPRQ Pilot Test – Parent Cover Letter and FAQs

3/16/12

Dear Parent,

I am pleased to invite you to take part in a new study. It is called the Family and Early Care and Education Provider Relationship Quality Study. It will look at the way families and their child care providers and teachers work together to care for and educate children. What we learn from this study will help us develop a survey that child care providers, educators, and policy makers can use to improve the quality of young children’s care and education.

The study is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is conducted by Westat, a research firm in Rockville, Maryland. Your participation is voluntary, but I encourage you to participate. Your participation will help improve child care and early education in the United States. To thank you for your taking part in the study, we will send you a check for $25 when you return the completed questionnaire in the postage-paid envelope.

All information collected will be kept private to the extent permitted by law. No information that identifies you or your child will be included in any reports. No information you give us will be shared with your child’s child care or education program. Your participation will not affect you or your child’s standing with your care or early education program or provider.

A study brochure, a flyer with frequently asked questions, and a copy of the parent questionnaire are enclosed in this packet. These materials should answer your questions and give you more detailed information about this study and what is involved in participating. If you have further questions about the study, please feel free to call Westat toll free at 1-800-xxxx or send an email to _____. More information about this study is also available at the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) website at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/other_resrch/fprq/overview.html#overview

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Family and Early Care and Education Provider Relationship Quality Study

Answers to Parents’ Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Family and Early Care and Education Provider Relationship study?

The study is about how families and their children’s childcare and early education providers/teachers work together to care for and teach children. A survey is being developed to examine this relationship from both parents’ and providers’ points of view. The results will help childcare providers, educators, and policy makers to improve children’s care and early learning experiences.

Who conducts the Family and Early Care and Education Provider Relationship Study?

The study is sponsored by the Office of Head Start (OHS) and the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), both of which are part of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Westat and Child Trends, two research firms in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, are conducting the study. Westat is collecting the data. To find out more about the study visit the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) website at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/other_resrch/fprq/overview.html#overview.

What will be asked?

You will be asked about your relationship with your child’s care provider or teacher. Examples of questions include: how often you and your provider talk about your child’s experiences in his or her education and care setting; how often does your provider listen to your ideas about ways to change or improve the education and care your child receives; and how often does your provider offer you books and materials to support your child’s learning at home?

How long will the survey take to complete?

The survey will take about 30 minutes complete. To thank you for your time, we will send you a check for $25 after we receive your completed survey. You will be given a pre-paid and pre-addressed envelope in which to mail your survey back to Westat.

Will my child’s teacher/childcare provider see my answers?

No. Your responses will remain private to the extent permitted by law.

Do I have to participate?

Your participation in this study is voluntary. By taking part in this study, you will help us learn more about how families like yours work with their young children’s teachers and child care providers. This information will help childcare providers, teachers, and policy makers improve children’s care and early education.

APPENDIX Q:

FPRQ Pilot Test – ECE Provider Cover Letter and FAQs

3/16/12

Dear Child Care Provider or Early Educator,

I am pleased to invite you to participate in a new study. It is called the Family and Early Care and Education Provider Relationship Quality Study. It will look at the way child care and early education providers and the families of children they support work together to care for and educate children. The goal of the study is to develop a measure that child care providers, educators, and policy makers can use to improve the quality of young children’s care and education.

The study is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is conducted by Westat, a research firm in Rockville, Maryland. Your participation is voluntary; however, I encourage you to participate. You and the families you work with have the opportunity to provide information that will help improve child care and early education in the United States. To thank you for taking part in the study, we will send you a check for $25 when you return the completed questionnaire in the postage-paid envelope.

All information collected will be kept private to the extent permitted by law. No information that identifies you will be included in any reports. Your care setting will not receive any of the information collected from you. Participation will not affect you or your standing with your care or early education program.

A brochure, a flyer, a list of answers to frequently asked questions, and a copy of the questionnaire are enclosed in this packet. The enclosed materials should answer your questions and give you more detailed information about this study and what is involved in participating. If you have further questions about the study, please feel free to call Westat toll free at 1-800-xxxx or send an email to _____. More information about this study is available at the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) website at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/other_resrch/fprq/overview.html#overview.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Family and Early Care and Education Provider Relationship Quality Study

Answers to Child Care Provider and Teachers’ Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Family and Early Care and Education Provider Relationship study?

The study is about how families and their children’s child care and early education providers/teachers work together to care for and teach children. A survey is being developed to examine this relationship from both parents’ and providers’ points of view. The results will help childcare providers, educators, and policy makers to improve children’s care and early learning experiences.

Who conducts the Family and Early Care and Education Provider Relationship Study?

The study is sponsored by the Office of Head Start (OHS) and the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), both of which are part of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Westat and Child Trends, two research firms in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, are conducting the study. Westat is collecting the data. To find out more about the study visit the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) website at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/other_resrch/fprq/overview.html#overview.

What will be asked?

You will be asked about your experiences teaching and caring for children from birth to 5 years of age. Examples of questions include: how often do you talk with parents about their children’s experiences in your care/education setting; how often are you able to help children settle in when they are dropped off; and, how often are you able to use parents’ feedback to adjust the care and education provided to their child?

As part of the study, we are also recruiting families to take a brief survey. We will leave brochures and flyers containing important information about the study in participating classrooms for parents to view.

How long will the survey take to complete?

The survey will take about 30 minutes to fill out. To thank you for your time, we will send you a check for $25 after we receive your completed survey. You will be given a pre-paid and pre-addressed envelope in which to mail your survey back to Westat.

Will my supervisors, the other providers/teachers, or the parents of children in my care see my answers?

No. Your responses will remain private to the extent permitted by law.

Do I have to participate?

Your participation in this survey is voluntary. By taking part in this study, you will provide important information that isn’t available anywhere else. This information will help childcare providers, teachers, and policy makers improve children’s early care and education.

APPENDIX Q:

FPRQ Pilot Test – ECE Provider Cover Letter and FAQs

3/16/12

Dear Child Care Provider or Early Educator,

I am pleased to invite you to participate in a new study. It is called the Family and Early Care and Education Provider Relationship Quality Study. It will look at the way child care and early education providers and the families of children they support work together to care for and educate children. The goal of the study is to develop a measure that child care providers, educators, and policy makers can use to improve the quality of young children’s care and education.

The study is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is conducted by Westat, a research firm in Rockville, Maryland. Your participation is voluntary; however, I encourage you to participate. You and the families you work with have the opportunity to provide information that will help improve child care and early education in the United States. To thank you for taking part in the study, we will send you a check for $25 when you return the completed questionnaire in the postage-paid envelope.

All information collected will be kept private to the extent permitted by law. No information that identifies you will be included in any reports. Your care setting will not receive any of the information collected from you. Participation will not affect you or your standing with your care or early education program.

A brochure, a flyer, a list of answers to frequently asked questions, and a copy of the questionnaire are enclosed in this packet. The enclosed materials should answer your questions and give you more detailed information about this study and what is involved in participating. If you have further questions about the study, please feel free to call Westat toll free at 1-800-xxxx or send an email to _____. More information about this study is available at the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) website at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/other_resrch/fprq/overview.html#overview.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Family and Early Care and Education Provider Relationship Quality Study

Answers to Child Care Provider and Teachers’ Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Family and Early Care and Education Provider Relationship study?

The study is about how families and their children’s child care and early education providers/teachers work together to care for and teach children. A survey is being developed to examine this relationship from both parents’ and providers’ points of view. The results will help childcare providers, educators, and policy makers to improve children’s care and early learning experiences.

Who conducts the Family and Early Care and Education Provider Relationship Study?

The study is sponsored by the Office of Head Start (OHS) and the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), both of which are part of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Westat and Child Trends, two research firms in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, are conducting the study. Westat is collecting the data. To find out more about the study visit the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) website at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/other_resrch/fprq/overview.html#overview.

What will be asked?

You will be asked about your experiences teaching and caring for children from birth to 5 years of age. Examples of questions include: how often do you talk with parents about their children’s experiences in your care/education setting; how often are you able to help children settle in when they are dropped off; and, how often are you able to use parents’ feedback to adjust the care and education provided to their child?

As part of the study, we are also recruiting families to take a brief survey. We will leave brochures and flyers containing important information about the study in participating classrooms for parents to view.

How long will the survey take to complete?

The survey will take about 30 minutes to fill out. To thank you for your time, we will send you a check for $25 after we receive your completed survey. You will be given a pre-paid and pre-addressed envelope in which to mail your survey back to Westat.

Will my supervisors, the other providers/teachers, or the parents of children in my care see my answers?

No. Your responses will remain private to the extent permitted by law.

Do I have to participate?

Your participation in this survey is voluntary. By taking part in this study, you will provide important information that isn’t available anywhere else. This information will help childcare providers, teachers, and policy makers improve children’s early care and education.

FPRQ Email and Text Message Reminder of Interview