Proposed Information Collection Activity: Comment Request
Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 114 (Tuesday, June 14, 2016)
Federal Register Volume 81, Number 114 (Tuesday, June 14, 2016)
Notices
Pages 38709-38710
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov
FR Doc No: 2016-13999
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERICES
Administration for Children and Families
Proposed Information Collection Activity: Comment Request
Proposed Projects
Title: National Study of Title IV-E Child Welfare Waiver Demonstrations.
OMB No.: New Collection.
Description: The National Study of the Title IV-E Child Welfare Waiver Demonstrations is sponsored by the Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and involves the conduct of a cross-site study of jurisdictions (referred to as waiver jurisdictions) approved to operate demonstrations authorized by section 1130 of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act, Public Law 112-34. The demonstrations involve waivers of certain provisions of the foster care program authorized by title IV-E of the Social Security Act. Child welfare agencies in waiver jurisdictions are operating demonstrations to implement a variety of programs and interventions that serve children and families in an effort to improve their safety, permanency, and well-being. Each waiver jurisdiction is required to conduct a third-party evaluation of its demonstration.
The National Study will examine the extent to which safety, permanency, and well-being outcomes have improved for children and families; the characteristics of waiver jurisdictions where improvements in outcomes have occurred; expenditure patterns and the types of activities for which waiver jurisdictions have increased funding; and the extent to which waiver jurisdictions have experienced practice and systems-level changes. The National Study uses a mixed-
method approach to examine 25 waiver jurisdictions (including 23 states, the District of Columbia and one tribal government) with Terms and Conditions approved in Federal Fiscal years 2012, 2013, and 2014. Proposed data collection methods are two topically-focused telephone surveys: (a) A telephone survey of waiver jurisdiction representatives and evaluators who are focused on measuring well-being, and (b) a second telephone survey of waiver jurisdiction representatives and evaluators that is focused on understanding practice and systems-level changes within child welfare service systems. Also proposed is a Web-
based survey of waiver jurisdiction representatives and evaluators that will look more broadly at the implementation of waiver demonstrations and corresponding changes in child welfare policy, practice, and financing. Data collected through these instruments will be used by the Children's Bureau to gain an understanding of the jurisdictions' collective experience with implementing their demonstrations.
Respondents: The respondents to the Web-based survey will be a purposive sample of an estimated 250 waiver jurisdiction representatives and evaluators drawn from the 25 waiver jurisdictions with waiver demonstration
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projects (Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Washington DC, West Virginia, Wisconsin). The Web-based survey will be administered once during the National Study. The respondents to the Well-Being telephone survey will be a purposive sample of 60 respondents identified from up to 12 waiver jurisdictions who are involved with the assessment of child and family well-being in their waiver jurisdictions. The Well-
Being telephone survey will be administered once during the National Study. The respondents to the Practice and Systems-Level Change telephone survey will be a purposive sample of 60 respondents identified from up to 12 waiver jurisdictions who are knowledgeable about practice, policy, and organizational changes in their respective waiver jurisdictions. The Practice and Systems-Level Change telephone survey will be administered once during the National Study.
Annual Burden Estimates
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Number of Average
Instrument Number of responses per burden hours Total burden
respondents respondent per response hours
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Web-Based Survey................................ 250 1 0.33 82.5
Telephone Survey: Well-Being.................... 60 1 1 60
Telephone Survey: Practice and Systems-Level 60 1 1 60
Change.........................................
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Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours......... .............. .............. .............. 202.5
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In compliance with the requirements of section 506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Administration for Children and Families is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the information collected described above. Copies of the proposed collection of information can be obtained and comments may be forwarded by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, 330 C St. SW., Washington, DC 20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer. Email address: infocollection@acf.hhs.gov. All requests should be identified by the title of the information collection.
The Department specifically requests comments on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information (c) the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected, and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Consideration will be given to comments and suggestions submitted within 60 days of this publication.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
FR Doc. 2016-13999 Filed 6-13-16; 8:45 am
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