Proposed Information Collection Activity; Data Collection for the Engaging Fathers and Paternal Relatives: A Continuous Quality Improvement Approach in the Child Welfare System Project (New Collection)
| Published date | 20 April 2021 |
| Citation | 86 FR 20498 |
| Record Number | 2021-08025 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Children And Families Administration |
Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 74 (Tuesday, April 20, 2021)
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 74 (Tuesday, April 20, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20498-20499]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-08025]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
Proposed Information Collection Activity; Data Collection for the
Engaging Fathers and Paternal Relatives: A Continuous Quality
Improvement Approach in the Child Welfare System Project (New
Collection)
AGENCY: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration
for Children and Families, HHS.
ACTION: Request for public comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within
the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is proposing to
conduct data collection activities for the Engaging Fathers and
Paternal Relatives: A Continuous Quality Improvement Approach in the
Child Welfare System (Fathers and Continuous Learning in Child Welfare
[FCL]) Project. This evaluation is a descriptive study of child welfare
agencies' use of a continuous quality improvement process called the
Breakthrough Series Collaborative (BSC) to implement strategies to
improve father and paternal relative engagement in the child welfare
system. The project is designed to examine the use of the BSC
methodology to strengthen fathers' and paternal relatives' engagement
with children involved in child welfare and to add to the evidence base
on engagement strategies for fathers and paternal relatives in child
welfare.
DATES: Comments due within 60 days of publication. In compliance with
the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ACF is
soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the information
collection described above.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed collection of information can be
obtained and comments may be forwarded by emailing
[email protected]. Alternatively, copies can also be
obtained by writing to the Administration for Children and
[[Page 20499]]
Families, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, 330 C Street
SW, Washington, DC 20201, Attn: OPRE Reports Clearance Officer. All
requests, emailed or written should be identified by the title of the
information collection.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Description: The FCL evaluation has three equally important aims.
The first is to describe promising strategies for engaging fathers and
paternal relatives in the child welfare system. The second is to assess
the promise of the BSC as a continuous quality improvement framework
for addressing challenges in the child welfare system, including
whether and to what extent the BSC has potential, and if so, how it may
be applied to other child welfare challenges. The third is to assess
the extent to which agencies experienced a shift in organizational
culture in terms of the importance of father engagement.
The descriptive evaluation will build on the findings of the pilot
study conducted under the umbrella generic: Formative Data Collections
for ACF Program Support (OMB #0970-0531). (Site selection for the pilot
study was conducted under the umbrella generic: Formative Data
Collections for ACF Research (OMB #0970-0356.) It will focus on
organizational changes and network supports for father and paternal
relative engagement, changes in staff attitudes and skills for engaging
fathers and paternal relatives, and father and paternal relative
engagement outcomes. This evaluation will explore the implementation of
father and paternal relative engagement strategies by examining process
outcomes. By examining process outcomes, the evaluation is designed to
indicate whether strategies developed in the BSC are likely to lead to
placement stability and permanency outcomes.
Data collection will take place with stakeholders in as many as
five child welfare agencies implementing the BSC. Data collection
activities include discussions with participating agency staff and key
partners during site visits, focus groups with fathers and paternal
relatives with relatively recent experience with the focal child
welfare agencies, and web surveys of participating agency staff.
Respondents: Child welfare agency leaders, child welfare agency
program staff and key partner staff involved in implementing the
engagement strategies, and father and paternal relative clients of the
agencies. Program staff may include senior leaders, managers, and
frontline staff.
Annual Burden Estimates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of
Number of responses per Avg. burden
Instrument respondents respondent per response Total burden Annual burden
(total over (total over (in hours) (in hours) (in hours)
request period) request period)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Interview topic guide......... 180 1 1.5 270 90
Father and paternal relative 72 1 1.5 108 36
focus group protocol.........
Staff survey.................. 90 2 0.33 59 20
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 146.
Comments: 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.
Authority Sec. 403. [42 U.S.C. 603] and Sec. 426. [42 U.S.C.
626].
Mary B. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021-08025 Filed 4-19-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-73-P
