REVISED: DEL is Seeking Volunteers to Participate as an Attendance Project Usability Tester

We do not need any more volunteers for usability testing.  Due to the tremendous response to our call for volunteers--all of the usability sessions have been filled. 

Thank you to all of the people that volunteered to test the usability of several of the attendance systems DEL is evaluating for purchase.  Your feedback will help DEL find the best attendance tracking system for our state. 

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The Department of Early Learning (DEL) is currently working through a new attendance system which will track attendance of children participating in Washington’s child care subsidy program. The process is currently done on paper forms, creating a complicated and confusing process for families, providers, and the State. With the federal government now requiring us to improve our child care subsidy attendance records, we are in the process of selecting an electronic attendance system. This new system will track, store, and report on child attendance to support provider billing. The digital system should be easier to use and more accurate. The goals of the Attendance Project are to:  

• Replace the manual paper attendance system used by most providers with a modern, off-the-shelf, cloud-based software.
• Reduce the amount of time that providers and State workers spend tabulating attendance hours.
• Reduce billing inaccuracies and over-payments with internal controls over child care payments.
• Implement the new system in a manner that supports providers’ different comfort levels with technology.

Prior to committing to an attendance system we need your help.  We are seeking volunteers, licensed child care providers and parents using licensed care, to test the usability of systems we are evaluating for purchase and provide feedback. Your feedback will directly contribute to the selection of a system that will improve child care subsidy attendance tracking. 

The usability study is being conducted between May 25 through June 8 in Olympia. Volunteers will commit to approximately 1-1 ½ hours in our Usability Lab interacting with one of the attendance systems while providing feedback about the system to a facilitator. These sessions will be video recorded. 

Volunteers are eligible to receive a $75.00 gift card and travel reimbursements based on current state reimbursement rates and in accordance with the State of Washington Office of Financial Management Travel Regulations (current rates for travel can be accessed at: http://www.ofm.wa.gov/resources/travel.asp). 

If you are interested in participating in this activity, please complete our 3 minute survey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/R6GKH83) and a member of the Washington Technology Solutions (WaTech) User Experience Team will contact you within the next two business days to schedule a session.

Please contact communications@del.wa.gov with any questions.

Thank you for your interest in contributing to our state’s progress toward building an early learning system that meets the needs of all Washington children and families!