Outreach to Improve Child Care Stabilization Grant Customer Experience
In partnership with researchers from the federal Office of Evaluation Sciences (OES), and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), MMB collaborated to assess the effectiveness of different outreach strategies aimed at improving the customer experience for Child Care Stabilization Base Grant (CCSBG). The CCSBG program, initially funded by the American Rescue Plan and now supported by Minnesota's General Fund, provides vital financial assistance to help child care providers maintain operations and increase staff compensation (see related MMB’s outcome evaluation here). These evaluations tested strategies that were designed to improve communication and ensure eligible providers had the information and support needed to participate in the grant program.
Study 1: Text Message Outreach
The first evaluation focused on whether default opt-in text messaging could improve the customer experience by retaining child care providers in DHS’s communication about the CCSBG program. In this intervention, providers were automatically enrolled to receive text message updates, with the option to opt out. The research team examined two approaches to presenting the opt-out choice: a standard default message and a transparent message explaining the default option and its benefits. The randomized evaluation showed no significant difference in opt-out rates between the two message types, with both groups demonstrating similarly low opt-out rates. Among providers who received the messages, fewer than 3% chose to opt out, suggesting the default opt-in strategy effectively maintained high participation in the text communication system. These findings highlight that while default options are useful for retaining participation, ensuring successful message delivery is crucial for improving customer experience.
Analysis Plan Abstract Intervention Pack
Study 2: Multimodal Communication Strategy
The second evaluation targeted providers who had missed out on CCSBG awards in the past, aiming to improve their understanding of the program through a multimodal outreach strategy that included emails, text messages, and phone calls. The goal was to enhance their customer experience by helping providers navigate the application process and addressing any misconceptions about the grant. Over a five-month period, providers were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a standard group receiving emails only, a group receiving emails and text messages, and a group receiving emails, text messages, and phone calls. The evaluation found that adding texts to email outreach increased CCSBG awards by 3.8 percentage points, while the combination of emails, texts and phone calls increased awards by 5.2 percentage points. For providers who had never received a grant before, the phone call intervention boosted awards by 12.4 percentage points, significantly improving their experience with the program.
Analysis Plan Abstract Intervention Pack
Conclusion
These evaluations underscore the importance of tailored outreach strategies to improve the customer experience and ensure eligible providers have the information and support needed to access critical financial resources. While text messages proved effective in sending reminders to providers already familiar with the grant, personalized communication—such as phone calls—played a key role in addressing misconceptions and engaging providers who were less familiar with the program. In this way, it’s critical to work with providers to understand their needs, tailor our outreach in a way that fits the context, and evaluate what’s working and what’s not. Ultimately, enhancing the customer experience for child care providers means better access to the CCSBG program for eligible providers, helping sustain their operations and strengthening the child care sector in Minnesota.
Project Registration Date:
May 9, 2023
Project Status:
Complete
Project Lead:
Evaluation Priority Area:
Human Services