Attachment C - Email and Letter to Selected Centers

ATTACHMENT c.1

email to selected centers

This page has been left blank for double-sided copying.

TO: [EMAIL]

FROM: [RECRUITER]

SUBJECT: Study on the Implementation and Cost of High Quality Early Care and Education

ATTACHMENT: FAQs, Study brochure

Dear [CENTER DIRECTOR]:

We are reaching out to you to seek your center’s participation in an important study. As you know, high quality early care and education (ECE) in childhood builds a strong foundation of emotional, social, language and cognitive skills that are key for future success in school. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) has partnered with Mathematica, an independent research organization, to conduct a study on how centers use their resources to maximize the quality of ECE.

Your input will be extremely helpful in conducting this study. We view you and your center as a valuable partner in this study and hope your center will participate. For this study to be successful, it is critical to have the participation of a range of centers—such as big and small centers, and those that receive different types of support. When the study is complete, we hope the findings will help centers of all types make decisions about using resources to support quality. The findings will also help state and national administrators and policymakers understand how to best invest resources to promote the highest quality ECE. Participation in the study is completely voluntary, but if your center is selected, we hope you will participate. Information you provide will be kept private, and the study will not identify individuals or centers in any of its reports. Participation in this study is completely voluntary. Centers that participate will receive [AMOUNT] for taking part in the study.

We understand that you and your staff are very busy, so we will be flexible in scheduling any data collection activities. I have attached answers to frequently asked questions about the study and a study brochure. I would like to schedule a time to talk with you by phone about the study in greater detail. I would also like to take that opportunity to learn about some key characteristics of your center and discuss your center’s participation in the study.

If you can share some times you would be available to talk with me by phone that would be great. Otherwise, I will call you in the next few days to schedule a time.

Thank you for your time. I look forward to speaking with you in the near future. If you have any questions prior to our call, please contact me at [LIAISON PHONE] or by email at [LIAISON EMAIL].

Sincerely,

[LIAISON NAME]

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: The referenced collection of information 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. The OMB control number for this collection is 0970-0499 and it expires X/XX/XXXX.

This page has been left blank for double-sided copying.

ATTACHMENT c.2

LETTER TO SELECTED CENTERS

This page has been left blank for double-sided copying.

Annalee Kelly

Survey Director

P.O. Box 2393

Princeton, NJ 08543-2393

Telephone (609) 799-3535

Fax (609) 799-0005

www.mathematica-mpr.com

[DATE]

Dear [CENTER DIRECTOR]:

We are reaching out to you to seek your center’s participation in an important study. As you know, high quality early care and education (ECE) in childhood builds a strong foundation of emotional, social, language and cognitive skills that are key for future success in school. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) has partnered with Mathematica, an independent research organization, to conduct a study on how centers use their resources to maximize the quality of ECE.

Your input will be extremely helpful in conducting this study. We view you and your center as a valuable partner in this study and hope your center will participate. For this study to be successful, it is critical to have the participation of a range of centers—such as big and small centers, and those that receive different types of support. When the study is complete, we hope the findings will help centers of all types make decisions about using resources to support quality. The findings will also help state and national administrators and policymakers understand how to best invest resources to promote the highest quality ECE. Participation in the study is completely voluntary, but if your center is selected, we hope you will participate. Information you provide will be kept private, and the study will not identify individuals or centers in any of its reports. Participation in this study is completely voluntary. Centers that participate will receive [AMOUNT] for taking part in the study.

We understand that you and your staff are very busy, so we will be flexible in scheduling any data collection activities. I have enclosed answers to frequently asked questions about the study and a study brochure. I would like to schedule a time to talk with you by phone about the study in greater detail. I would also like to take that opportunity to learn about some key characteristics of your center and discuss your center’s participation in the study.

If you can share some times you would be available to talk with me by phone that would be great. Otherwise, I will call you in the next few days to schedule a time.

Thank you for your time. I look forward to speaking with you in the near future. If you have any questions prior to our call, please contact me at [RECRUITER PHONE] or by email at [RECRUITER EMAIL].

Sincerely,

[RECRUITER],

[RECRUITER TITLE]

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: The referenced collection of information 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. The OMB control number for this collection is 0970-0499 and it expires X/XX/XXXX.