Appendix B-1-4. Recruitment Letter to FDCH Provider

Feasibility of Estimating Meal Claim Errors

for Family Day Care Homes in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

Appendix B-1-4. Recruitment Letter to FDCH Provider

[On MSG letterhead or via MSG email; Cc sponsor organization]

OMB Number: 0584-XXXX

Expiration Date: XX/XX/XXXX

[Date]

Dear [Provider name]:

We are contacting you on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) about a study of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) meal reimbursement program. FNS funds State regional CACFP offices to provide reimbursement for meals and snacks that the latter serve to children enrolled in licensed or approved family day care homes. FNS has hired Manhattan Strategy Group (MSG), a research company, to conduct a feasibility study on meals served and claimed by family day care home (FDCH) providers.

Your State is one of the two states initially selected to participate in this study on meals served and claimed in CACFP day care homes. Your sponsor organization, [SPONSORING ORGANIZATION NAME], has agreed to participate in the study and provided us with a list of its family day care providers to recruit for the study.

Your day care home was one of the providers randomly selected from this list to participate in the study and represent other day care homes in your State. Participation in the study is voluntary but strongly encouraged for sponsors and FDCH providers per Section 305 of the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010. As a study participant, you have the opportunity to provide information that could lead to improvement in the national program. Your participation will not affect your current agreement with your sponsor.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-XXXX. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 12 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

The goal of the study is to help the USDA find out whether day care providers are receiving the correct amount of reimbursement for meals they serve to non-resident children enrolled in their day care. In your capacity as a study participant, we would like you to take a few minutes each day to use a simple smartphone application or website to report meal serving times for the month of March 2017.

During the study, the application will allow you to report daily child attendance and the times you serve meals. It will not replace the current reporting process you use to file meal claims with your sponsor. You will receive a user guide on how to use the technology before the study starts. For your participation in the research study, we will give you a Visa gift card of $60.

We will also invite parents/caregivers in your day care home to participate in the study by using a text messaging system or website to report child attendance in March 2017. At this time, we are asking you for the following information:

• The most recent child enrollment information for all children currently attending your day care. This information includes: (1) child name, (2) age, (3) planned attendance schedule, and (4) planned schedule of meals and snacks served.

• The most recent parent/guardian contact information for children enrolled in your day care. This should include the parents’/guardians’: (1) name, (2) address, and (3) telephone number(s).

We need the above information by [DATE]. MSG staff will work with you to receive
your information by email or fax. You can email a copy of the child enrollment forms to CACFP@manhattanstraetgy.com or fax it to 301-828-1506. You may also choose to send the information to us by mail using the enclosed prepaid envelope. MSG will use this information
to invite parents/caregivers to participate in the study. We will handle all of the information we collect securely and privately, never sharing it with anyone outside MSG.

Your participation in the research study is highly valuable. We have included a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) in this letter. We will also contact you by phone to answer any questions you have about the study or this letter. If you have specific questions about the study, you may contact the project help desk at 1-800-912-9384 or send an email to cacfp@manhattanstrategy.com.

We sincerely thank you for participating in the study and providing the information we
have requested.

Sincerely,

USDA CACFP Meal Claims Feasibility Study

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

WHAT IS THE STUDY ABOUT?

The study will help U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) meet its Federal Government reporting requirement for assessing the integrity of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). The research study seeks to determine whether day care providers are receiving the correct amount of reimbursement for meals they are serving.

DOES MY SPONSOR KNOW THIS IS GOING ON?

Yes. Your sponsor is aware of the study and your participation in it. We have partnered with your sponsor to initiate the research study.

WHO IS MSG?

MSG is the research company that the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has hired to conduct the study. The study’s approach has been approved by the agency and the Office of Management and Budget, as required. It has also been developed to minimize the potential burden to providers.

WHY AM I BEING ASKED TO PARTICIPATE?

You represent the providers your sponsor oversees. Your feedback is highly valuable and will help the USDA improve the program and make it easier for you to comply with program regulations. We greatly appreciate your cooperation and support. For your participation in the study, we will provide you with a Visa gift card of $60.00.

WHY DO YOU NEED INFORMATION ABOUT the PARENTS OF THE CHILDREN for whom I provide Day care?

We will use the CACFP child enrollment and contact information for the children in your day care to invite parents to participate in the research study. We will only use the data for this purpose, and will store it securely. We will not release the information we gather outside of this data collection.

will you train me TO USE THIS TECHNOLOGY?

Yes. You will receive an easy-to-follow user guide on how to use the technology before the study starts.

HOW CAN I ACCESS THE TECHNOLOGY YOU ARE ASKING ME TO USE?

You can download the smart phone application to your cell phone or access it on a computer with Internet access. The application is free. You can easily uninstall it after the research study is complete.

WHY IS THE STUDY PERIOD one month?

The study aims to collect and confirm data for the same period of time that you submit claims to your sponsor for meal reimbursement.

HOW COME YOU CAN’T use THE MEAL CLAIM DOCUMENTATION I have ALREADY COMPLETEd FOR THE Research Study?

The study requires providers to use the application because it standardizes the information being collected from providers in the study.

WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT WILL I HAVE DURING THE STUDY?

We will help troubleshoot any situations you may encounter during the study period. The MSG study team will provide a toll-free hotline and email service to help you use the application.

Thank you for your support!

B-1-4.4