[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 66 (Thursday, April 4, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15076-15077]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-8203]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

    Title: Early Head Start Evaluation.
    OMB No: New Request.
    Description: The Head Start Reauthorization Act of 1994 established 
a special initiative creating funding for services for families with 
infants and toddlers. In response the Administration on Children, Youth 
and Families (ACYF) designed the Early Head Start (EHS) program. In 
September, 1995, ACYF awarded grants to 68 local programs to serve 
families with infants and toddlers.
    EHS programs are designed to produce outcomes in four domains: (1) 
child development, (2) family development, (3) staff development and 
(4) community development. The Reauthorization required that this new 
initiative be evaluated. To study the effect of the initiative ACYF 
awarded a contract through a competitive procurement to Mathematica 
Policy Research, Inc. (MPR) with a subcontract to Columbia University 
Center for Young Children and Families. Evaluation will be carried out 
from October 1, 1995, through September 30, 2000. Data collection 
activities that are the subject of this Federal Register notice are 
intended for the first phase of the EHS evaluation.
    The sample for the child and family assessments will be 
approximately

[[Page 15077]]
3,400 families who include a pregnant woman or a child under 12 months 
of age, in 17 EHS study sites. Each family will be randomly assigned to 
a treatment group or a control group. The sample for the child care 
assessments will include the primary child care provider for the focal 
child in each of the 3,400 study sample families. The sample for the 
staff assessments will be all EHS staff who have contact with the study 
children and families. The surveys and assessments will be conducted 
through computer assisted telephone interviewing, pencil and paper 
self-administered questionnaires, structured observations and 
videotaping. All data collection instruments have been designed to 
minimize the burden on respondents by minimizing interviewing and 
assessment time. Participation in the study is voluntary and 
confidential.
    The information will be used by government managers, Congress and 
others to identify the features and evaluate the effectiveness of the 
EHS program.
    Respondents: Applicants to the Early Head Start program, child care 
providers for Early Head Start families and Early Head Start staff.
    Annual Burden Estimates:

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                                                                           Number of                            
                                                              Number of    responses      Average       Total   
                         Instrument                          respondents      per      burden hours     burden  
                                                                           respondent  per response     hours   
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14-Month Parent Interview, Child Assessment Videotaping                                                         
 Protocol..................................................        3,230            1          2.5         8,075
6-Month Parent Services Follow-Up Interview................        3,298            1           .75        2,474
Child Care Provider Interview..............................        1,259            1           .50          630
Child Care Provider Observation Protocol...................        1,259            1          2           2,518
Staff Questionnaire........................................          170            1           .5            85
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 13,782.                                                                    
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    In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Administration for Children and 
Families is soliciting comment on the specific aspects of the 
information collection 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 
Information Services, Division of Information Resource Management, 370 
L'Enfant Promenade, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20047, Attn.: ACF Reports 
Clearance Officer. All requests should be identified by title.
    In addition, requests for copies may be made and comments forwarded 
to the Reports Clearance Officer over the Internet by sending a message 
to [email protected]. Internet messages must be submitted as an 
ASCII file without special characters or encryption.
    Comments are invited 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) ways to enhance 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.

    Dated: March 28, 1996.
Roberta Katson,
Director, Division of Information Resource Management Services.
[FR Doc. 96-8203 Filed 4-3-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M