A Feasibility Study of Head Start Recruitment and Enrollment

Spring ‘00 Parent Interview

Field Interviewer ID number:

______

______

______

Date of Interview

Time of interview start:

______ :

______

Time of interview end:

______ :

______

PHONE ELIGIBILITY SCREEN (Level 1)

Hello, this is (INTERVIEWER NAME) and we are preparing to do a study to learn more about preschool education and child care services. The study is sponsored by the Federal Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. I’m not asking for any money or trying to sell you anything -- I’d only like to ask you a few brief questions.

1. First, are you a member of this household and at least 18 years old?

2. Including everyone who usually lives in your household, such as family, relatives, friends, or boarders, are there any children in the household between the ages of 3 and 5 years old?
   
   

1. a. Are you the parent or guardian who lives at this house and who is most responsible for CHILD’s care?
   
   

PHONE ELIGIBILITY SCREEN (Level 2)

3. Including yourself, how many adults age 18 and older live in your household? ___ ___ number of adults

4. Including your child that is 3-5 years old, how many children age 17 and younger live in your household? ___ ___ number of children

5. In the past two years, did any member of your household receive, on a regular basis, public assistance or benefits from the welfare office such as TANF, SSI., emergency assistance money payments, vouchers, transportation assistance, subsidized child care, or job training?

6. Is your 3-5 year old child a foster child or does he/she have a disability that has been diagnosed by a professional?

7. It is important for this study that we include households in a wide variety of economic situations. For 1999, was the total income for everyone in this household, before taxes, below (Amount from Table 1) or above (Amount from Table 1).

PHONE ELIGIBILITY SCREEN (Level 3)

8. Have you ever heard of the Head Start Program?

9. Have your children ever been enrolled in the Head Start Program?
   

10. Have you ever completed an application or filled-out any papers so your child could attend Head Start?
    

SCHEDULE INTERVIEW APPOINTMENT

We will be in your area from (                 ) and would like to interview you in person. We can come to your home or meet you at a public place such as a library or a McDonalds. The interview will take less than 45 minutes and you will be paid $25 to cover any costs you might incur such as for babysitting or transportation. Once we schedule an appointment, I will mail you a letter with information about the study, a consent form to sign, and an invoice to complete so we may pay you after the interview is finished.

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for agreeing to talk with me. As I explained on the phone, the purpose of this study is to learn more about preschool education and child care options for families with preschool age children. We know that sometimes families with young children face many challenges. We want to learn about these from a parent’s point of view. Information from this study will be used to help develop better services for children and their families.

I will ask you questions and write down your answers. You may stop me at any time, and you may go back to earlier questions to change your answers. No one will ever know your answers because your name will never be attached. Your participation is completely voluntary. If you choose not to complete this interview, it will not affect you or your child in anyway. The things you do tell me are very important, so please be as accurate as possible. Occasionally, I may have to ask a question that does not apply to you. If that happens, just tell me and I will move on the next question. Our interview should take approximately 45 minutes. At the end of the interview, I will give you your money and some addresses as well as some phone numbers in case you would like more information about the study or this interview. Do you have any questions?

A4. What is your relationship to CHILD?

birth

adopted

birth

adopted

B. ACTIVITIES WITH YOUR CHILD

Now I have some questions about you and CHILD at home.

B1. How many times have you or someone in your family read to CHILD in the past week? Would you say...

B4. IF YES: How many times have you done this in the past week? Would you say one or two times, or three or more?

___ ___ number of times

___ ___ number of times

____ ____ years old

(See codes below)

01=No 02=Yes 90=NA 99=DK

01=Mother (biological)
02=Mother (adoptive)
03=Father (biological)
04=Father (adoptive)
05=Stepmother
06=Stepfather
07=Grandmother
08=Grandfather

09=Great grandmother
10=Great grandfather 11=Sister/Stepsister
12=Brother/Stepbrother
13=Other relative or in-law (female)
14=Other relative or in-law (male)

15=Foster parent (female)
16=Foster parent (male)
17=Other non-relative (female)
18=Other non-relative (male)
19=Parent’s partner (female)
20=Parent’s partner (male)
99=Don’t know/Didn’t Respond

INTERVIEWER:

IF MOTHER IS RESPONDENT

SKIP TO F16

IF MOTHER IS NOT RESPONDENT AND

NOT IN HOUSEHOLD

GO TO F9

IN HOUSEHOLD

SKIP TO F14

REMINDER -- IF MOTHER IS DECEASED, ASK F12-F15 THEN SKIP TO F16

DO NOT READ LIST. CIRCLE ONE RESPONSE.

What is the highest grade or year of regular school that CHILD’s mother completed?

DO NOT READ LIST. CIRCLE ONE RESPONSE..

Is she currently working, in school, in a training program, or is she doing something else?

DO NOT READ LIST. CIRCLE ALL THAT APPLY.

INTERVIEWER:

IF FATHER IS RESPONDENT

SKIP TO F23

IF FATHER IS NOT RESPONDENT AND

NOT IN HOUSEHOLD

GO TO F16

IN HOUSEHOLD

SKIP TO F21

REMINDER -- IF FATHER IS DECEASED, ASK F19-F20, THEN SKIP TO F23

DO NOT READ LIST. CIRCLE ONE RESPONSE.