Your Opinion Matters - Join the NYSB5 Focus Group!

The Center for Human Services Research at SUNY Albany is hosting virtual focus groups for parents/caregivers of young children (ages birth-5). Parents who participate will receive a $25 gift card.

These groups will provide input to New York State’s Council on Children and Families to improve parental access to high-quality child care and preschool.

Description of The Project

In 2019, New York State Council on Children and Families received a federal grant to conduct a Needs Assessment to learn about New York State parents’ needs for child care. The 2019 Needs Assessment helped inform policymakers and state leaders to enact changes to the early childhood care and education (ECCE) system including addressing child care deserts, learning more about the transportation needs of young children, and addressing child care affordability through changes to the subsidized childcare system. Learn more about the 2019 Needs Assessment here: https://www.ccf.ny.gov/council-initiatives/nysb5/.

The Center is now working on an update to the 2019 Needs Assessment. They are scheduling focus groups with parents or caregivers raising children ages birth-5 this fall. They are hoping to engage caregivers all over New York State to gather additional information on the strengths and needs of the ECCE system, with a particular focus on the following groups:

  • Caregivers from bi-racial, multi-racial, racial, and ethnic groups

  • Caregivers from multi-lingual households (primarily language other than English)

  • Immigrant and/or refugee caregivers

  • Migrant caregivers

  • Caregivers of children who have special needs

The focus groups will cover several topics including ECCE affordability and accessibility, changes to ECCE services due to COVID, other family concerns during the pandemic, and what resources/information were particularly helpful during the COVID-19 shutdown.

Other important information about focus groups:

  • All focus groups participants will receive a $25 Target gift card for participating

  • Groups will take place during October, November, and December

  • Groups will take place on days, evenings, and weekends

  • Groups are scheduled to last approximately 60 minutes

  • Groups will be audio recorded, but no identifying information will be recorded

  • To the extent possible, focus groups will take place in participants’ primary language

DOWNLOAD THE FLYER IN ENGLISH OR SPANISH OR VISIT THE COUNCIL ON CHILDREN AND FAMILIES WEBSITE TO PARTICIPATE

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