Appendix C
Lesbian and Gay Child Care Task Force Needs Assessment
for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Families

CODE ________

Family Interview and Family Group Interview

Introduce self and project. Thank parents for willingness to participate.

1. To introduce me to your family, please think about a "peak family experience"- a time when your family was having a really great time together. Tell me the story of that experience.
   
   (In conversation about the story, ask questions as necessary to include family members, structure and ages of children in recording your story).
   
   
   • What made this experience so memorable?
     
   
   
2. To let me know a little bit about the child care situation you have, think about a day where everything about your child care arrangement really worked for you and your child-a day when you felt particularly satisfied at the end of the day. Tell me the story of that day.
   
   (In conversation about the story, ask questions as necessary to include type of child care and setting-length of day, before and after school, preschool, etc., to record in your story.)
   
   
   • What factors made this such a great day?
     
   
   
3. Think of a time when you felt a deep sense of satisfaction from working in partnership with your child's care provider or staff on behalf of your child's growth and development. Tell me the story.
   
   
   • What happened?
     
     
   • What did you and others say or do that gave you a sense of inclusion and partnership?
     
   
   
4. Think of a time when you felt especially proud of your child's care provider, center, teacher, and /or staff-when you felt pleased to be associated with them. Tell me what happened that led you to feel such pride.
   
   
   
   • Who was involved?
     
     
   • What was present in the people or setting that helped create that moment of pride?
     
   
   
5. Tell me about a time when your child came home and had a story to tell that made you feel that learning and appreciating differences was a real part of his or her child care / early childhood experience.
   
   
   • What was his or her story about?
     
     
   • What did you feel as you heard it?
     
     
   • What were the factors that led your child to tell this story?
     
   
   
6. Think about a time when you were pleased to see indications that your child's care provider or center honors diversity and respects different family structures. Tell me about that experience. (If the respondent needs examples of possible indications, here are some: books, posters, curricula, policies, forms, "out" role models, inclusive speech by care providers, etc.)
   
   
   • What did you see?
     
     
   • What was you response?
     
     
   • What were the factors that made this happen?
     
   
   
7. If you could wave a magic wand and change three things about your experience with child care to significantly heighten the quality of care and the learning atmosphere for your child(ren), what would they be?
   

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