[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 23 (Friday, February 2, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3937-3938]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-2212]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of 
Authority

    This Notice amends Part K of the Statement of Organization, 
Functions, and Delegations of Authority of the Department of Health and 
Human Services (DHHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) 
as follows: Chapter KD, The Regional Offices of the Administration for 
Children and Families (60 FR 34284), as last amended, June 30, 1995. 
This reorganization realigns the functions in Region 7 to support their 
streamlining plan. This Chapter is amended as follows:
    1. KD.10  Organization. Regions 1, 3, 4, 8 through X are organized 
as follows:

Office of the Regional Administrator (KD1A, KD3A, KD4A, KD8A through 
KDXA)
Office of Financial Operations (KD1B, KD3B, KD4B, KD8B through KDXB)
Office of Family Security (KD1C, KD3C, KD4C, KD8C through KDXC)
Office of Family Supportive Services (KD1D, KD3D, KD4D, KD8D through 
KDXD)

    After the end of KD6.20 Functions, Paragraph C, insert the 
following:
    2. KD7.10  Organization. The Administration for Children and 
Families, Region 7, is organized as follows:

Office of Regional Administrator (KD7A)
Office of State and Tribal Operations (KD7E)
Office of Community Operations (KD7F)
Office of Program Support (KD7G)

    KD7.20 Functions. A. The office of the Regional Administrator is 
headed by a Regional Administrator. In addition, the Office of the 
Regional Administrator has a Deputy Regional Administrator who reports 
to the Regional Administrator. The Office provides executive leadership 
and directives to state, county, city, territorial and tribal 
governments, as well as public and private local grantees to ensure 
effective and efficient program and financial management. It ensures 
that these entities conform to federal laws, regulations, policies and 
procedures governing the programs, and exercises all delegated 
authorities and responsibilities for oversight of the programs. The 
office takes action to approve state plans and submits recommendations 
to the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families concerning state 
plan disapproval. The Office contributes to the development of national 
policy based on perspectives on all ACF programs. It oversees ACF 
operations, the management of ACF regional staff; coordinates 
activities across regional programs; and assures that goals and 
objectives are met and departmental and agency initiatives are carried 
out. The Office alerts the Assistant Secretary for Children and 
Families to problems and issues that may have significant regional or 
national impact. The Office represents ACF at the regional level in 
executive communications within ACF, with the HHS Regional Director, 
other HHS operating divisions, other federal agencies, and public or 
private local organizations representing children and families.
    Within the Office of the Regional Administrator, The Operations 
Support team, consisting of administrative staff, assist the Regional 
Administrator and Deputy Regional Administrator in providing day-to-day 
support for 

[[Page 3938]]
regional administrative functions, including budget, performance 
management, procurement, property management internal systems, employee 
relations and human resource development activities.
    B. The Office of State and Tribal Operations is headed by a 
Director who reports to the Regional Administrator. The Office is 
responsible for providing centralized management, financial management 
services, and technical administration of ACF formula, block and 
entitlement programs such as Aid to Families with Dependent Children 
(AFDC), Child Support Enforcement (CSE), Job Opportunities and Basic 
Skills Training (JOBS), Child Care, Foster Care and Adoption 
Assistance, Child Welfare, Child Abuse and Neglect and Developmental 
Disabilities. The Office provides policy guidance to state, county, 
city or town and tribal governments and public and private 
organizations to assure consistent and uniform adherence to federal 
requirements governing formula and entitlement programs. State plans 
are reviewed and recommendations concerning state plan approval or 
disapproval are made to the Regional Administrator. The Office provides 
technical assistance to entities responsible for administering these 
programs to resolve identified problems, ensures that appropriate 
procedures and practices are adopted, monitors the programs to ensure 
their efficiency and effectiveness, establishes regional financial 
management priorities and reviews cost allocation plans, and oversees 
the management and coordination of office automation systems in the 
region and monitors state systems projects for the CSE, AFDC, Child 
Welfare and JOBS programs. The Office provides financial management 
services for ACF formula and entitlement grants in the region. The 
Office also reviews cost estimates and reports for ACF entitlement and 
formula grant programs and recommends funding levels. The Office 
performs systematic fiscal reviews and makes recommendations to the 
Regional administrator to approve, defer or disallow claims for federal 
financial participation in ACF formula and entitlement grant programs. 
As applicable, recommendations are made on the clearance and closure of 
audits of state programs, paying particular attention to financial 
management deficiencies that decrease the efficiency and effectiveness 
of the ACF programs and taking steps to monitor the resolution of such 
deficiencies. The Office represents the Regional Administrator in 
dealing with the ACF Program Offices on all program and financial 
policy matters under its jurisdiction. Alerts or early warnings are 
provided to the Regional Administrator regarding problems or issues 
that may have significant implications for the programs.
    C. The Office of Community Operations is headed by a Director who 
reports to the Regional Administrator. The Office is responsible for 
providing centralized management, financial management services, and 
technical administration of ACF discretionary grant programs such as 
Head Start and Youth Programs. In that regard, the Office provides 
policy guidance to state, county, city or town and tribal governments 
and public and private organizations to assure consistent and uniform 
adherence to federal requirements. The Office provides technical 
assistance to entities responsible for administering these programs to 
ensure that appropriate procedures and practices are adopted, and 
monitors the programs to ensure their efficiency and effectiveness. The 
Office performs systematic fiscal reviews; and makes recommendations to 
the Regional Administrator to approve or disallow costs under ACF 
discretionary grant programs. The Office issues certain discretionary 
grant awards based on a review of project objectives, budget 
projections, and proposed funding levels. As applicable, 
recommendations are made on the clearance and closure of audits of 
grantee programs, paying particular attention to financial management 
deficiencies that decrease the efficiency and effectiveness of the ACF 
programs and taking steps to monitor the resolution of such 
deficiencies. The Office oversees the management and coordination of 
office automation systems in the region such as the PC Cost and HS Cost 
systems for budget analysis on Head Start Applications and monitors 
grantee systems projects such as the Head Start Program Information 
Report, Head Start Management Tracking System and the Youth Development 
and Head Start Bulletin Board. The Office represents the Regional 
Administrator in dealing with ACF program offices on all program policy 
and financial matters under its jurisdiction. Alerts or early warnings 
are provided to the Regional Administrator regarding problems or issues 
that may have significant implications on the programs.
    D. The Office of Program Support is headed by a Director who 
reports to the Regional Administrator. The Office is responsible for 
providing centralized management of the program quality and outcome 
leadership initiatives, such as child welfare and special populations, 
early childhood development and self sufficiency. The Office provides 
cost allocation and audit support to the Office of State and Tribal 
Operations and the Office of Community Operations. The Office provides 
leadership, coordination, program expertise and planning for the 
outcome leadership functions. The Office provides technical assistance 
and team leadership regarding the outcome leadership initiatives to 
entities responsible for administering ACF programs, as well as to the 
Office of State and Tribal Operations and the Office of Community 
Operations. The Office conducts analyses of State and Federal 
performance, including those associated with the Quality Control/
Quality Assurance functions. The Office represents the Regional 
Administrator in dealing with ACF Offices on all program and financial 
policy matters under its jurisdiction. Alerts or early warnings are 
provided to the Regional Administrator regarding problems or issues 
that may have significant implications for the programs.

    Dated: January 24, 1996.
Mary Jo Bane,
Assistant Secretary for Children and Families.
[FR Doc. 96-2212 Filed 2-1-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M