Pushing the Methodological Envelope

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Pushing the Methodological Envelope
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• An Interdisciplinary Approach to Research on
  Subsidized Child Care
• Econometric Models that Draw on Qualitative and
  Quantitative Approaches
• By Deanna Schexnayder and Laura Lein, PIs
• Julie Beausoleil, Daniel Schroeder and Ying Tang
• University of Texas at Austin
• A presentation from the
• Devolution of Subsidized Child Care in Texas,
• a field initiated research project funded by the
  Child Care Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and
  Human Services, 2001-2005

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Econometric Analysis that Builds on Four Data
Sources

• Research Questions
• Overview of Texas Policy Environment
• Four Data Streams
• 1. Policy Analysis
• 2. Interviews with Board Staff
• 3. Administrative Data
• 4. Market Rate Survey Data
• Econometric Analysis
• Conclusions

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Research Questions

• 1. How do local child care policies in Texas
  vary following the devolution of responsibilities
  for child care policies to the local workforce
  boards?
• What is the process by which local policy changes
  governing the provision of publicly subsidized
  child care are decided upon and implemented?
• This presentation addresses the following
  questions
• 3. Which changes in local child care markets are
  statistically associated with local policy
  variations?
• 4. Which changes in the patterns of child care
  use and family outcomes are statistically
  associated with local policy variations?

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Overview The Research Context
In the late 1990s Texas devolved the management
of its child care subsidy system and
responsibility for child care policies to 28
workforce boards.

• 1. Panhandle
• 2. South Plains
• 3. North Texas
• 4. North Central
• 5. Tarrant County
• 6. Dallas County
• 7. North East Texas
• 8. East Texas
• 9. West Central Texas
• 10. Upper Rio Grande
• 11. Permian Basin
• 12. Concho Valley
• 13. Heart of Texas
• 14. Capital Area

• 15. Rural Capital
• 16. Brazos Valley
• 17. Deep East Texas
• 18. South East Texas
• 19. Golden Crescent
• 20. Alamo Area
• 21. South Texas
• 22. Rural Coastal Bend
• 23. Hildalgo
• 24. Cameron County
• 25. Texoma
• 26. Central Texas
• 27. Middle Rio Grande
• 28. Gulf Coast

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Four Streams of Data1. Policy Analysis Policy
Change over Time at Three Levels
Example of work sheet
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Local Policy Changes The Fourth LevelExample
Changes in Income Eligibility Policies
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2. Interviews with Board Staff Changes over Time

• CODING CATEGORIES
• TOPIC 1 - Board, board structure, board dynamics
  and child care contractors
• Boards basic facts/history
• Boards experience of devolution (general)
• Board size and membership
• Child Care Program Manager (CCPM)
• Child care committee (CCC)
• Child care advisory committee (AC)
• Child care contractors (CO
• Topic 2 - Quality
• Topic 3 - Funding
• Topic 4 - Policy Making

• FIRST INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
• Program Variables
• Eligibility
• Access to services
• Co-payments
• Reimbursement rates
• Types of care used
• Program Administration and Operation
• Policy-making process
• Financial flow
• Board oversight process
• Interagency collaboration
• Special needs of Hispanic community

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3. A. Administrative Data Workforce
Development Board Progress
Example of data Financial Allocations to Local
Boards
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B. Administrative Data Understanding Changes
in the Characteristics of Subsidy Recipients over
Time
Example of data
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4. Market Rate Survey Data The Market -- Rates
and Supply

• Example of Results from Statewide Market Rate
  Survey
• showing rates for a workforce board over time

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Econometric AnalysisChild Care Subsidy Dynamics
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Econometric AnalysisFamily Economic Outcomes
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Econometric AnalysisChild Care Market Outcomes
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Conclusions Benefits of Multiple Methods

• Include range of types of variables from
  institutional to household, and from financial to
  attitudinal
• More confidence that specific issues raised in
  interviews and case studies represent the
  universe
• Ability to view the same situation from multiple
  view points and explore multiple outcomes at
  different levels
• Issues identified in interviews can be
  incorporated in regressions and tested for
  statistical significance

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Use this page as the final slide in your
presentation.
For More Information
Deanna Schexnayder 512-471-2193
dschex_at_uts.cc.utexas.edu Laura
Lein 512-471-9248 lein_at_mail.utexas.edu On the
Web http\\www.utexas.edu/research/cshr/childcare
/