[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 208 (Friday, October 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55305-55306]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-27462]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families


Notice of Proposed Change in Data Source Used To Determine Tribal 
Child Counts; Request for Comments on Proposed Approach and Process

AGENCY: Administration on Children Youth and Families, ACF, DHHS.

ACTION: Notice of proposed change in data source used to determine 
tribal child counts; request for comments on proposed approach and 
process.

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SUMMARY: This Notice announces the Proposed Self-Certification Process 
for Tribal Child Counts Used to Calculate Tribal Allotments Under the 
Child Care and Development Block Grant. The purpose of utilizing a 
self-certification process for tribal grantees is to assist the Agency 
in fulfilling its Congressional mandate to serve low-income children 
under the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). To ensure 
accuracy in determining tribal allotments under the CCDBG, ACF is 
proposing a new strategy of self-reporting, instead of continuing its 
current practice of using data reported in the Bureau of Indian Affairs 
(BIA) ``Indian Service Population and Labor Force Estimates Report.''

DATES: The Department invites comments on this proposed data collection 
method, particularly on whether a self-certification process will 
result in accurate and timely information reflecting current child 
count data. Written comments must be submitted on or before November 
25, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to: Administration on Children 
and Families, Child Care Bureau, Room 320-F, 200 Independence Avenue, 
S.W.,Washington, D.C. 20201.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ginny Gorman, Administration on 
Children and Families, Child Care Bureau, Room 320-F, 200 Independence 
Avenue, S.W.,Washington, D.C. 20201.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Introduction and Purpose

    The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) provides funding 
to States, Territories and Federally-recognized Tribes to provide 
services to children from low-income families who need child care 
either because a parent is working or attending a training or 
educational program or because the family is receiving or needs to 
receive protective services.
    The CCDBG statute requires the Secretary to obtain the most recent 
data and information necessary, from each appropriate Federal agency, 
to determine state funding allotments. There is no similar statutory 
requirement for determining tribal allotments.
    The Final Rule implementing the CCDBG program stated that the BIA 
Indian Service Population and Labor Force Estimates Report, published 
biennially, was determined to be the most suitable, available data 
source for CCDBG purposes. However, problems have developed in its use. 
Due to cutbacks in BIA personnel, this Report has not been published on 
schedule. The fiscal year (FY) 1996 CCDBG tribal allotments will be 
based on 1993 data since the scheduled 1995 Report has not yet been 
published.
    In addition, the BIA Report is limited because it does not include 
Alaska-specific data. Consequently, ACF uses Census data to determine 
CCDBG allotments for Alaskan grantees. Thus, for purposes of CCDBG 
allocations, child count data are currently collected from two separate 
data sources which do not match in the timing of available data or 
types of information collected.
    In order to continue to provide for the best available data source 
to determine the number of children eligible to receive CCDBG funds in 
each tribe or tribal consortia, ACF has again reviewed potential data 
sources.
    After a thorough review of the available data options, ACF has 
determined that it would be in the best interest of the tribes, as well 
as ACF, to utilize a self-certification process since it would afford 
tribes the opportunity to select a data source, or utilize a method for 
counting tribal children, which most accurately reflects its child 
population.
    Further, through a tribal self-certification process, the child 
count data will be available with minimal lag time and will more 
accurately reflect the natural fluctuations in child population. With 
current sources, it can take 2 to 3 years for changes in population 
(such as reaching a child population of 50) to be reflected in the data 
source.
    This approach supports the President's April 29, 1994, mandate to 
Federal agencies which reaffirms the government-to-government 
relationship and directs agencies to design solutions and tailor 
Federal programs, in appropriate circumstances, to address specific or 
unique needs of tribal communities.

Proposed Process for Self-Certification

    ACF intends to include a new section in the FY 1997 Program 
Instruction for tribal CCDBG applicants which describes the process for 
tribes to follow

[[Page 55306]]

in submitting their self-certified child counts. Each tribal grantee 
and each tribe participating in a consortium will be required to submit 
a declaration signed by the governing body of the tribe or an 
individual authorized to act for the applicant tribe or organization. 
The declaration must certify the number of Indian children, as defined 
in section 3.7(#10) of the CCDBG plan preprint, in the tribe's most 
recent count, under age 16, who reside on or near the reservation or 
other tribal service area.
    The declaration must be submitted as part of the grantee's 
application. Each tribe, participating in a consortium, must submit 
such a declaration to the consortium, who in turn must submit all such 
declarations as an attachment to the consortium's application.
    Tribes are not obligated to conduct a special count to obtain this 
number for FY 1997 funding. Tribes may submit their most recent child 
count of such children. A tribe may choose to conduct a special count; 
however, it must be completed by July 1 of the funding year, and the 
child count submitted with the CCDBG application on July 1.
    It must be noted that CCDBG continues to serve children under age 
13. However, for the FY 1997 allocation of funds, ACF intends to allow 
children under age 16 to be counted in order to give flexibility in the 
type of data sources tribes may utilize (e.g., the most recent BIA 
Report). This will allow tribes who do not choose to conduct a separate 
count to use existing data sources. If an application is submitted 
without a child count declaration, ACF will calculate the grantee's FY 
1997 grant award using the same number of children used to determine 
the FY 1996 grant award. Beginning in FY 1998, Tribal child counts 
declarations will include children under age 13, in conformance with 
the CCDBG statute.

    Dated: October 22, 1996.
James A. Harrell,
Deputy Commissioner, Administration on Children, Youth and Families.
[FR Doc. 96-27462 Filed 10-24-96; 8:45 am]
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