Child Care Provider Interviews & Focus Groups
In addition to the survey , interviews were conducted with child care providers to gather additional data . The purpose of the interviews was to : ( 1 ) gather deeper data on the cost of operating a program than could be captured through an online survey , ( 2 ) ensure data were collected from providers serving specific populations , such as infants and toddlers and children in rural communities , and providers accessing public funding , and ( 3 ) reach providers who preferred not to complete an online survey . All providers could request an interview rather than completing the online survey . Those who did complete the survey were prompted to respond whether they would like to participate in an interview to share information not collected in the survey . Proactive outreach was conducted through key state partners such Child Care Aware of Washington and the Imagine Institute to identify additional programs to interview . Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish , via zoom or telephone at a time to suit the provider .
During later stages of the data collection , outreach was targeted to providers in regions of the state that had not participated in the survey or in an interview . Targeted outreach was conducted for any underrepresented provider groups . The interviews provided additional information on how providers manage their program , including what elements , and their associated expenses , are necessary to meet the current licensing standards and the requirements of Early Achievers , the state ’ s quality rating and improvement system . In addition , the interviews provided an opportunity to ask about what it would take to recruit and retain staff and have a financially sustainable and stable program .
During March and May 2022 , the study team conducted interviews with 52 providers , many of whom represented multiple programs or programs with multiple sites . Data collected from these 52 providers represented over 400 classrooms across more than 100 sites .
In addition to the interviews , P5FS convened eight focus groups of family child care providers . In parallel to the cost of care study , P5FS also worked with DCYF to support a specific cost analysis of family child care providers as required under a Memorandum of Understanding ( MOU ) with the child care providers union , Service Employees International Union-925 . P5FS was able to engage in an efficient approach to gathering cost data for both studies , using the seven focus groups required under the MOU to gather additional and complementary data for the cost of care study , without adding additional burden to providers . An additional focus group was added to support further data collection from Spanish-speaking providers . Across the eight focus groups , three were conducted in Spanish , one in Somali , and four in English . A total of 62 family child care providers participated in focus groups in April and May 2022 .
The focus groups included questions related to ( 1 ) staffing , ( 2 ) compensation , and ( 3 ) opportunities for quality improvement . As a complement to the focus group , participants were also invited to fill out a short survey with details of their non-personnel expenses .
Both interviewees and focus group participants received a stipend of $ 100 to recognize the time spent participating in the study .
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