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DCYF launches anonymous monitor-visit feedback survey for child-care providers
Summary
The Department of Children, Youth, and Families said it will automatically send an anonymous survey to providers after licensing monitor visits to collect feedback, available in eight languages and open for 60 days. DCYF said results will be reviewed quarterly and used to improve licensing practice without replacing supervisory review.
The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) has begun automatically sending an anonymous feedback survey to child-care providers after each on-site licensing monitor visit, agency officials told the Provider Support Subcommittee.
The survey, developed with provider input, is emailed to the address associated with a provider account once a licensor completes an on-site inspection and sends the inspection report. "This survey is automatically emailed out to the providers once the licensor has completed the on-site monitor visit and sends the inspection report," said Jennifer Gomes, DCYF child-care program manager.
DCYF said the email that triggers the survey includes site-specific account information so providers with multiple locations can identify which visit is being reviewed. Once a provider clicks the link and begins the survey, that identifier is removed and the agency receives anonymous responses. "The survey is anonymous," Gomes said.
Why it matters: DCYF licensing staff and a quality-assurance team will use the data to track licensors' performance and identify training or policy changes. Agency officials emphasized the survey is an additional feedback channel and does not replace existing supervisory review processes for contesting findings.
How the survey works and what it asks - Delivery and access: Providers receive an automatic email after the inspection report is issued and may access the survey through the provider portal or the DCYF website. Michael Sampillo (WA Compass product owner) gave a live demonstration of the portal interface and navigation. - Languages and accessibility: The survey is available in English, Spanish, Somali, Russian, Tagalog, Mandarin, Ukrainian and Vietnamese; a Google Translate option is offered where needed. - Timing and retention: Providers have 60 days from the date of the survey email to save and submit responses. "You do have 60 days from the date of the email to complete the survey and submit it," Michelle Sampillo said during the demonstration. After that period the survey link expires and responses cannot be edited. - Optional fields and downloads: All questions are optional. After submission providers are offered a one-time opportunity to view and download a PDF copy of their answers; DCYF does not retain a downloadable copy for the submitter after that moment. - Content and uses: Questions address licensor identification, clarity of the visit purpose, technical assistance offered, cultural respect, language access, and open-text comments describing positive or negative experiences. DCYF's Quality Assurance/Continuous Quality Improvement (QACQI) team will analyze responses and provide summarized results annually.
Agency safeguards and next steps - Staff training and data review: DCYF said the QACQI team will review survey results quarterly and may adjust that cadence after the first year of collection. The team will use findings to recommend licensing practice improvements and staff training changes. - Supervisory review: "We don't want this survey to circumvent our supervisory review process," said Debbie Groff, childcare deputy senior. Groff said providers should continue to use existing channels — licensors, licensing supervisors and area administrators — to request supervisory review of disputed noncompliance findings. - Feedback on the survey itself: DCYF encouraged providers to use the survey's large open-text field to suggest improvements to the survey or portal functionality; the agency said it will translate narrative entries for analysis.
What providers asked Providers raised questions during the session about whether the survey could be open longer than 60 days, whether the vetting process included a broad range of providers, and how summaries of the results will be shared back to provider groups. DCYF acknowledged some provider groups were consulted during development and said it will follow the survey's first year before changing questions to preserve comparability of results.
Next practical details - Tip sheet availability: DCYF plans to post a tip sheet in the provider portal (Help → Tip Sheets) with step-by-step instructions and language options. - Support contacts: The agency provided a provider-portal support inbox and phone number during the presentation for technical questions about accessing or completing the survey.
The survey rollout is part of DCYF's effort to create feedback loops with providers and to use provider experience to refine licensing practice, licensing training and communications.
