Sample Survey Questions for Licensed Child Care Centers
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Market Rate and Cost of Quality Survey Questions
The following questions will be asked to all providers participating in the Market Rate and Cost of Quality Surveys:
Hours of Operation
• What are your hours of operation, M-F?
• What are your hours of operation on Saturday and Sunday, if any?
• Do you offer drop-in care?
• How many days a year do you close for holidays? For personal vacation?
Enrollment and Rates
• Altogether, how many children are enrolled at your center?
• How many age groups does your center have based on your rate structure?
• What is the age range for each age group?
• How many children come full-day in each age group? How may come part-day/afterschool in each age group?
• What are your standard full-time / part-day rates for each age group?
• Do you have a waiting list for any of your age groups?
Additional Charges
• Do you have a one-time registration fee? Yearly or semester fees? If so, how much?
• Do you charge an activity/supply fee? If so, how much?
• Do you provide any discounts in the form of a sliding scale?
• Do you accept CCS children (children receiving subsidies)? How many slots do you allocate for CCS children?
• Do you provide regular transportation?
Administrative Information
• Are you non-profit?
• Are you part of a local/regional chain, a national chain, or are you independently owned?
• Are you associated with a church or religious organization?
• Is your child care associated with a public school? (Includes public universities)
• Do you receive anything (e.g., building use, utilities, volunteer work) for a free or reduced price?
• Does your center participate in the federal Child Care Food Program?
• Do your center receive any financial donations?
Accreditations
• Is your service certified as a Texas Rising Star provider? If yes, how many stars do you have?
• Is your center nationally accredited? If yes, by whom?
Child Care Cost of Quality Survey Questions Only
The following questions will only be asked to providers participating in the Child Care Cost of Quality Survey:
• What is your estimated annual fee to maintain your national accreditation?
Director
• How many years of experience do you (the director) have working in childcare or early childhood education?
• What is your highest level of education?
• Do you have a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential?
• Do you have a Child Care Administrator Certificate or credential?
• Do you provide direct care on a regular basis (as opposed to filling in)?
Staffing
• How many direct care staff work at your center? How many of these staff are full-time?
• What is the highest degree of your direct care staff?
• How many of your direct care staff have a CDA? How many of these staff have less than three years of experience working in early childhood education? How many have eight or more years of experience?
Pay Rates and Benefits
• Do hourly wages differ based on what age-group a teacher is teaching?
• What are the hourly wages for your highest and lowest paid full-time lead teachers?
• What are the hourly wages for your highest and lowest paid full-time assistant teachers?
• Do you offer benefits for your direct care staff (e.g., reduced tuition for staff, retirement program, health insurance, paid time off, etc.)?
Training
• In the past 12 months, did your center have any training expenses (e.g., conference or workshop fees, onsite training fees, online training fees, travel costs, etc)?
Staff Turnover and Absenteeism
• How many direct care staff left your center in the last 12 months? How many were full-time?
• When direct care staff are absent or there are vacancies in classrooms, how do you cover for them?
Child/Staff Ratio
• How many classrooms do you have for this age group?
• What is the typical number of children per teacher for a classroom in each age group?
• How many children are typically in a classroom for this age group?
Curriculum and Assessment
• Do you use a curriculum or prepared set of activities? If yes, which curriculum? Where do you obtain it?
• Does your center use formal assessment to measure children’s developmental progress? If not, does your center use informal assessments to measure children’s developmental progress?
Planning
• How many paid hours each week is each direct care staff given for planning children’s activities?
Nutrition
• Does your center provide free meals and snacks? How many snacks per day? How many meals per day?