Agency information collection activities: Proposed collection; comment request,

[Federal Register: January 16, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 11)]

[Notices]

[Page 2657-2658]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr16ja98-29]

Notices Federal Register

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Economic Research Service

Notice of Intent to Seek Approval to Collect Information

AGENCY: Economic Research Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.L. No. 104-13) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR Part 1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 1995), this notice announces the Economic Research Service's (ERS) intention to request approval for a new information collection from day care home sponsoring organizations participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP); from day care homes that participate in CACFP; from day care homes that have dropped out of the program; and from parents of children cared for in participating day care homes in order to answer the legislative mandate in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-193, Sec. 708 (l)) to study the impact of amendments to the CACFP's authorizing legislation on participation and day care home licensing.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by March 23, 1998 to be assured of consideration.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS: Contact Linda Ghelfi, Food Assistance, Poverty, and Well-Being Branch, Food and Rural Economics Division, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1800 M. St., NW, Room 2145, Washington, DC 20036-5831, 202-694-5351.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Application for ERS collection of information on day care home sponsoring organizations, current and ``dropout'' day care homes, and parents of children cared for in day care homes that receive food assistance through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).

Type of Request: Approval to collect information on the sponsors, current and ``dropout'' day care homes, and parents of children cared for in day care homes that receive food assistance through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).

Abstract: The Economic Research Service has the responsibility to provide social and economic intelligence on consumer, food marketing, and rural issues, including: Food consumption determinants and trends; consumer demand for food quality, safety, and nutrition; food market competition and coordination; food security status of the poor; domestic food assistance programs; low-income assistance programs; and food safety regulation.

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the nutrition assistance programs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. FNS'' Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides cash reimbursements and commodity foods for meals served in child and adult care centers, and day care homes. Some 2.3 million children, of which about 988,000 were cared for in day care homes, participated in the program in June 1997. Generally, day care homes provide care in a licensed or approved private home for a small group of children. Day care homes must be administered by a sponsoring organization that ensures compliance with Federal and State regulations and prepares a monthly food reimbursement claim. The sponsoring organization also receives Federal reimbursement for administrative expenses, based on the number of homes it sponsors.

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Pub.L. 104-193, Sec. 708) amended the CACFP's authorizing legislation, instituting, on July 1, 1997, a tiered reimbursement system that reimburses day care homes in low-income areas and those in other areas that are run by low-income providers (tier I) at a higher rate than day care homes in other areas that are run by higher income providers (tier II). Meals served to low-income children in tier II homes may be reimbursed at the tier I rate if the parents of those children apply to the sponsoring organization.

The data collection effort proposed here will obtain information necessary to complete the Study of Impact of Amendments on Program Participation and Family Day Care Licensing mandated by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Pub.L. 104-193, Sec. 708 (l)).

A sample of day care home sponsoring organizations will be asked about the number of homes they sponsored before July 1, 1997, the number of homes by tier they sponsor at the time of the interview, and changes in their business operations or recruitment efforts related to the introduction of tiering. A sample of day care homes participating in CACFP will be asked about the number of children they care for, their tier status, and changes in their operations related to the tiering. Tier II homes in the sample will additionally be asked about the foods they serve and to obtain waivers from parents so that the portions of foods eaten by children they care for may be recorded. A sample of day care homes that dropped out of CACFP but continued to provide child care will be asked about the reasons they dropped out. They will also be asked about the foods they serve and to obtain waivers from parents so that the portions of foods eaten by children they care for may be recorded. A sample of parents whose children are cared for in tier I and tier II day care homes will be asked about their household characteristics on a voluntary basis.

Information gathered in these surveys is crucial to completing the Study of Impact of Amendments on Program Participation and Family Day Care Licensing mandated by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Pub.L. 104-193, Sec. 708 (l)). The U.S. Department of Agriculture is required to report to Congress on changes in the numbers of participating day care homes, the nutritional adequacy and quality of meals served in tier II and ``dropout'' day care homes, and the income levels of children cared for in participating day care homes. Data collected in the surveys will provide the basis for that report.

ERS, working with Abt Associates, will conduct the surveys of CACFP day

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care home sponsoring organizations, participating day care homes, ``dropout'' day care homes, and parents of children cared for in participating day care homes. The sampling process is four staged. Twenty States have been selected for the survey as a nationally representative sample of CACFP. The CACFP-administering agencies in those States will be asked for lists of sponsors. A random sample of the sponsors will be drawn and surveyed. From lists of participating and ``dropout'' homes provided by the sampled sponsors, random samples of participating and ``dropout'' homes will be selected and surveyed. From lists of parents provided by the participating day care homes, a random sample of parents will be drawn and surveyed.

Survey data will be collected through mail surveys, Computer- Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI), and, when necessary, personal interviews. With each stage of the sampling process dependent upon the success of the previous stage, every effort will be made to make the process as simple and user friendly as possible. For example, parents will be able to choose between a phone interview or mail survey to answer the household questions. Responses are voluntary and confidential. Survey data will be used with other data for statistical purposes and reported only in aggregate or statistical form.

No existing data sources, including FNS administrative data, can provide the information needed to complete the Study of Impact of Amendments on Program Participation and Family Day Care Licensing mandated by Congress. These data and the research they will support are vital to the Department's ability to assess the impact of amendments to CACFP.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this data collection is estimated to vary by the type of respondent. Responses by sponsors and tier I providers are estimated to average 30 minutes. Responses by tier II and ``dropout'' homes are estimated to average 3 hours, with those who prepare foods needing an additional hour to answer an additional set of questions. Responses by parents of children cared for in participating day care homes are estimated to average 17 minutes. The estimates include time for listening to instructions, gathering data needed, and responding to questionnaire items.

Respondents: Representatives of day care home sponsoring organizations, participating day care providers, ``dropout'' day care providers, and parents of children cared for in participating day care homes.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 400 sponsors, 580 tier I providers, 580 tier II providers of which 145 prepare their own foods, 580 ``dropout'' day care providers of which 145 prepare their own foods, and 1,536 parents of children cared for in participating day care homes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 4,521 hours.

Copies of the information to be collected can be obtained from Linda Ghelfi, Food Assistance, Poverty, and Well-Being Branch, Food and Rural Economics Division, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1800 M. St., NW, Room 2145, Washington, DC 20036-5801, 202-694-5351.

Comments: Comments are invited on (a) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden on those who are to respond, such as through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques. Comments may be sent to Linda Ghelfi, Food Assistance, Poverty, and Well-Being Branch, Food and Rural Economics Division, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1800 M. St., NW, Room 2145, Washington, DC 20036-5831. All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of public record.

Signed at Washington, D.C. Betsey Kuhn, Director, Food and Rural Economics Division.

[FR Doc. 98-1085Filed1-15-98; 8:45 am]

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