Appendix A: Family Survey
Demand-Work flexibility Module
How many hours do you work in a typical week in all your jobs combined? (National Study of Child Care Supply and Demand)
______(# OF HOURS)
Don’t know ...... -8
How much control (do you) have over (your) work schedule? (National Study of Child Care Supply and Demand)
I set my own hours
I can pick or rule out some shifts
I have very little control
OTHER______(specify)
How far in advance do you generally know your work schedule? (National Study of Child Care Supply and Demand)
1. less than 24 hours
2. 1-3 days
3. 3-7 days
Are you allowed to take a few days off to care for a sick child without losing pay, without losing vacation days AND without having to make up some other reason for absence? (National Study of Child Care Supply and Demand)
Yes
1. No
Do you ever have to travel for work so that you are away from home overnight? (National Study of Child Care Supply and Demand)
Yes
1. No
Is it possible for you to work from home occasionally? (National Study of Child Care Supply and Demand)
1. Yes
2. No
What happens at this job if (you are/s/he is) 30 minutes late for work? IF NEEDED: What would happen on a normal day, when nothing special was scheduled? (National Study of Child Care Supply and Demand)
1. Nothing
2. Don’t get paid for 30 minutes
3. Lose my shift
4. Get a bad assignment
5. Get a warning and could eventually lose my job
6. other
How much do your job and family responsibilities conflict with each other? Do they conflict . . . (National Study of Child Care Supply and Demand)
1. A great deal
2. Quite bit
3. Somewhat
4. A little
5. Not at all
6. DON’T KNOW
7. REFUSE
Please tell me how much you agree with the following statement: at the place where (you work/s/he works), employees who ask for time off for family reasons or who try to arrange different schedules or hours to meet their personal or family needs are less likely to get ahead in their jobs. Do you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree? (National Study of Child Care Supply and Demand)
1. Strongly agree
2. Somewhat agree
3. Somewhat disagree
4. Strongly disagree
How true are the following statements? Are they . . .1=Not true at all, 2= not usually true, 3= somewhat true, 4= very true?
My work schedule makes it easy to be on time 1 2 3 4
I work a regular day shift 1 2 3 4
My work schedule keep changing 1 2 3 4
My shift and work schedule cause extra stress for me and my child 1 2 3 4
Where I work its difficult to deal with EEC problems during working hours 1 2 3 4
In my work schedule I have enough flexibility to handle family needs 1 2 3 4
I have changed my work schedule in order to keep the EEC arrangement that I have 1 2 3 4
I find it difficult to balance work and family 1 2 3 4
ECE Use –Module
We would like to know how {child} spent his/her time when he/she was not with you or the child’s other parent during the last two weeks. Is (CHILD) currently being cared for in any regular EEC arrangement for two weeks or more while you work, go to school, or participate in some regular activity. By regular we mean arrangements for at least 10 hours per week that lasted two weeks or more. This includes: (Adapted from National EHS Evaluation, MN Household Child Care Survey & National Study of Child Care Supply and Demand)
Regular care provided at a child care center/community center
Time your child spends in nursery school or preschool
Regular care provided in someone’s else’s’ home (including by neighbors & relatives)
Regularly scheduled care provided by a nanny or friend in your home
After/before school care that takes place at school outside of regular school hours
Arrangement 1 / Arrangement 2What is the arrangement where your child spends the most time?
______Name
______Address
______Town / What is the arrangement where you child spends the most amount of time after (name of first arrangement)?
______Name
______Address
______Town
What type of arrangement is it?
1. Child care/community center
2. Family child home/sitter
in their home
3. Preschool/Nursery School
4. Relative in their home
5. Relative in your home
6. Sitter/nanny in your home
7. Head Start
8. Public Preschool
9. Before/After School Care at child’s school / What type of arrangement is it?
10. Child care/community center
11. Family child home/sitter
in their home
12. Preschool/Nursery School
13. Relative in their home
14. Relative in your home
15. Sitter/nanny in your home
16. Head Start
17. Public Preschool
18. Before/After School Care at child’s school
How many hours does your child spend in this arrangement per week? ______hours / How many hours does your child spend in this arrangement per week? ______hours
How long have you used this arrangement?
weeks/months/years (circle one) / How long have you used this arrangement?
weeks/months/years (circle one)
How old was your child when you began using this arrangement?
______/ How old was your child when you began using this arrangement?
______
What was the total amount you paid for this arrangement last month? Please include only the money you had to pay out of your own pocket. Don’t include any payment for which you were reimbursed or which was made by an agency.
______month
Optional Questions / What was the total amount you paid for this arrangement last month? Please include only the money you had to pay out of your own pocket. Don’t include any payment for which you were reimbursed or which was made by an agency.
______month
Optional Questions
Below is a list of sources that might help you pay for your child’s EEC program. Do you receive help from any of these? Please circle Y or N for each item
Government subsidy or voucher Y N
Head Start Y N
Child care tax credits on your taxes Y N
Before-tax dependent care account at work Y N
Employer pays part or all of your costs Y N
Scholarship, financial aid, or reduced fee from the center or provider Y N
Sliding fee scale offered at center Y N
Relative or friend helps to pay Y N
Offered through public school Y N
Department of Social Services Y N
Private agency or charity Y N
NO Financial support Y N
OTHER (SPECIFY)______
Optional Questions / Below is a list of sources that might help you pay for your child’s EEC program. Do you receive help from any of these? Please circle Y or N for each item
Government subsidy or voucher Y N
Head Start Y N
Child care tax credits on your taxes Y N
Before-tax dependent care account at work Y N
Employer pays part or all of your costs Y N
Scholarship, financial aid, or reduced fee from the center or provider Y N
Sliding fee scale offered at center Y N
Relative or friend helps to pay Y N
Offered through public school Y N
Department of Social Services Y N
Private agency or charity Y N
NO Financial support Y N
OTHER (SPECIFY)______
Optional Questions
During this past year, about how often have you changed or adjusted your early education and care arrangements? (National Study of Child Care Supply and Demand)
1. Weekly,
2. Monthly
3. Every 6 months, or
4. Less often than every 6 months
5. (Depends)
6. (Not sure/refused)
IF CHANGED, What were the reasons for changing or adjusting your arrangement? (MN Household Child Care Survey) CIRCLE ALL THAT APPLY
1. Program closed/stopped providing EEC
2. Child exceeded age of old program
3. Child reached age for new program
4. Unhappy with program (parent or child)
5. Wanted an educational program
6. Preferred program became available
7. Cost
8. Sibling care saves money during the summer
9. Parent changed job or schedule
10. Parent stopped working/finished school
11. Parent wanted to stay with children
12. Started having to stay home with other dependents
13. Respondent/child moved
14. Arrangement was seasonal/School year started or ended
15. Arrangement was temporary
16. Culturally appropriate arrangement was wanted
17. Problems with staff/educator turnover
18. Not enough space/overcrowded
19. Eligibility for assistance changed/Lost child care subsidy
20. Child was asked to leave due to behavior problems
21. Other (Specify: ______)
22. Refused
How did you first learn about the {ARRANGEMENT USED MOST} that you are currently using for {child}?(MN Household Child Care Survey)
DO NOT READ LIST. CIRCLE ONE RESPONSE ONLY.
1. Newspaper/advertisements/yellow pages
2. Community service/child care resource and referral service (may be actual
3. name of service) - (NOT social service or welfare agency)
4. Referred by friends/neighbors/relatives/co-workers
5. Provided care for another child of R’s
6. Welfare or social service caseworkers
7. Health care provider
8. Work
9. Public or private school
10. Church, synagogue, or other place of worship
11. Already knew program/educator/provider
12. Reference materials
13. Public bulletin boards/flyers
14. Parenting website
15. Internet search
16. Angie’s List or Craig’s List
17. Other (Specify ______)
18. Refused
19. Don’t know
What kind of problems, if any, have you had enrolling your child in an EEC program?
SELECT ALL THAT APPLY – (MN Household Child Care Survey)
1. I have not had problems enrolling my child in an EEC program.
2. The hours don’t meet my needs.
3. It’s too expensive.
4. The location is not convenient to me.
5. I am unsure of the quality of available EEC.
6. The EEC program was unable to offer services for children with special health or behavioral needs.
7. There were language or cultural differences between me and the staff.
8. I didn’t know where to get information on quality EEC program.
9. Other (SPECIFY) ______
How long was it between when you started looking and when you made this decision in your last search?
______Months
______Weeks
______Days
Would you have preferred some other EEC arrangement rather than the one you are currently using the most? (Abt National Study of Child Care for Low-Income Families)
YES...... 1
NO ...... 2
If YES, what would you have preferred? (Abt National Study of Child Care for Low-Income Families)
FAMILY DAY CARE/NON-RELATIVE...... ____
CHILD’S GRANDMOTHER OR GRANDFATHER...... ____ _
CHILD’S FATHER [IF NOT LIVING WITH (CHILD),
\MOTHER’S HUSBAND OR PARTNER (IF NOT CHILD’S FATHER)
CHILD’S OTHER RELATIVE
HEAD START
PRESCHOOL IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL
COMMUNITY_BASES CENTER, PRESCHOOL, NURSERY SCHOOL (NON-PUBLIC SCHOOL)
TO STAY HOME MYSELF
OTHER (SPECIFY)______
I’m going to mention some factors that families consider when choosing early education and care arrangements. Please tell me if each factor was very important, somewhat important, not very important, or not important at all in your decision to choose your early education and care arrangements for your (child/children). How important (Very important, somewhat important, not very important, not at all important) were the following: (Abt National Study of Child Care for Low-Income Families &
& MN Household Child Care Survey)
1=Very Important, 2= Somewhat Important, 3= Not Very Important, 4= Not at all Important
The cost 1 2 3 4
Convenience of location 1 2 3 4
Convenience of hours of operation 1 2 3 4
The ethnicity, language, or religion of the educators/teachers and other children 1 2 3 4
Safety 1 2 3 4
Getting your (child/children) ready to go to school 1 2 3 4
Opportunities for social and emotional development 1 2 3 4
The reputation of the program/provider 1 2 3 4
Learning activities or curriculum 1 2 3 4
Takes children when sick 1 2 3 4
Number of children in home/center 1 2 3 4
Accepted Vouchers 1 2 3 4
Received reduces rate/scholarship 1 2 3 4
References 1 2 3 4
Training/experience of educators/providers 1 2 3 4
Assignment to public school of choice 1 2 3 4
Access to other resources such as health screenings, housing assistance and interventional services 1 2 3 4
Program/school/provider is licensed by the State of MA 1 2 3 4
Program/school/provider is accredited by the NAEYC or the NAFCC 1 2 3 4
Rating on the MA QRIS 1 2 3 4
I’m going to read a list of statements. For each one, tell me whether it is true, somewhat true or nottrue. (READ STATEMENTS. CIRCLE ONE RESPONSE.) (Abt National Study of Child Care for Low-Income Families)
True / Somewhat True / Not true
1. / There are good choices for EEC programs where I live / 1 / 2 / 3
2. / I found a caregiver who shares my values. / 1 / 2 / 3
3. / I like the way my caregiver views the world / 1 / 2 / 3
4. / When I made this arrangement, I had more than one option / 1 / 2 / 3
5. / In choosing an EEC program, I’ve felt I had to take whatever I could get. / 1 / 2 / 3
6. / For my EEC arrangement, transportation is a problem. / 1 / 2 / 3
7. / My EEC program offers good quality care
8. / My EEC program covers the hours of care that I need
9. / My EEC program is too far from home. / 1 / 2 / 3
Would you say (his/her) (school/current school) does the following very well, just O.K., not very well, or doesn’t do it at all. (NHES)
1=Very well, 2=well/ok, 3=not very well, 4=doesn’t do it at all
Lets you know (between report cards) how (CHILD) is doing in school. 1 2 3 4
Provides information about how to help (CHILD) with (his/her) homework 1 2 3 4
Provides information about why (CHILD) was placed in particular groups or classes 1 2 3 4
Provides information on your expected role at (CHILD)’s school 1 2 3 4
Helps you understand what child at (child’s) age are like 1 2 3 4
Makes you aware of changes to volunteer at the school 1 2 3 4
Provides workshops, materials, or advice about how to help your child
learn at home 1 2 3 4 Provides information on community services to help your family 1 2 3 4
(If families does not speak English as a primary language at home)
How well does the program understand the needs of families who don’t
speak English 1 2 3 4
What is the most frequent reason for [CHILD]'s not attending your selected EEC program (HS FACES)?
ILLNESS OF CHILD / 01
ILLNESS OF FAMILY MEMBER / 02
CONFLICT WITH WORK OR SCHOOL SCHEDULE / 03
LACK OF TRANSPORTATION / 04
BAD WEATHER / 05
CHILD DID NOT WANT TO GO / 06
YOU DECISION NOT TO SEND CHILD OR TO SEND CHILD ELSEWHERE / 07
OTHER (PLEASE SPECIFY) ______/ 08
Access to EEC information Module