Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Salary and Staffing Survey?
Who receives the survey?
When is the survey being conducted?
Why are there numbers on the suvey?
Why should providers complete the survey?
Who do I contact for help?

What is the Salary and Staffing Survey?

The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) is required by legislative rule (20 ILCS 505/5.15) to conduct a survey of child care facilities every two years to assess the wages and fringe benefits earned by child care practitioners in the state. It also measures other factors related to wages and the staffing of child care programs. The results of this survey are submitted to the Governor and the General Assembly. IDHS has contracted with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and INCCRRA to conduct the survey.

Who receives the survey?

All active, licensed providers in the statewide Child Care Resource & Referral provider database as of December 31, 2010 will be contacted inviting them to participate in an online survey. For those providers who cannot access the internet or who would rather complete a paper-and-pencil survey, one can be mailed to them.

When is the survey being conducted?

In early April 2010, providers with email addresses will be sent an invitation informing them how to access the survey. Shortly thereafter, invitation letters will be mailed to all providers on the statewide database. These letters will give the survey web address and also include information about how to request a paper survey. Providers will be asked to complete surveys by June 1, 2011. Follow-up postcards will be mailed to encourage providers to respond to the survey.

Why are there numbers on the survey?

Each provider’s survey responses will be completely confidential, but to help track who has and has not completed surveys, an ID number and password will be assigned to each provider. Once a survey is completed, a separate ID will be assigned to the survey (not the provider) for data entry purposes, thus making providers’ responses to the survey anonymous.

Why should providers complete the survey?

Provider participation is vitally important to the child care community. Data from previous surveys have been used to support projects such as Great START and the Gateways Scholarship Program. This survey provides information critical to enhancing the field for child care professionals in Illinois.

Who do I contact for help?

If you would like to receive a paper and pencil copy of the survey to complete and return in a postage-paid envelope, or if you have any questions about the survey, please contact Kelley Terveer at (800) 649-1884 or (309) 834-1243.  You can also email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .