[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 41 (Monday, March 3, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9433-9434]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-5147]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request 
Proposed Projects

    Title: Early Head Start Evaluation.
    OMB No.: 0970-0143.
    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) designated the Early Head Start (EHS) program. In 
September 1995, ACYE awarded grants to 68 local programs to serve 
families with infants and toddlers. ACYF awarded grants to an 
additional 75 local programs in September 1996.
    EHS programs are designated 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, 
ACYE awarded a contract through a competitive procurement to 
Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (MPR) with a subcontract to Columbia 
University's Center for Young Children and Families. The evaluation 
will be carried out from October 1, 1995 through September 30, 2000. 
Data collection activities that are the subject to this Federal 
Register notice are intended for the second phase of the EHS 
evaluation.
    The sample for the child and family assessments will be 
approximately 3,400 families who include a pregnant women or a child 
under 12 months of age, in 17 EHS study sites. Each family will be 
randonly 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 surveys and assessments will be conducted through 
computer-assisted telephone and personal 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 and child 
care providers for Early Head Start families and control group 
families.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates                                            
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                                                                            Number of     Average               
                                                               Number of    responses      burden       Total   
                         Instrument                           respondents      per       hours per      burden  
                                                                            respondent    response      hours   
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24-Month Parent Interview, Child Assessment, and Videotaping                                                    
 Protocol...................................................        1,412            1          2.5        3,530
Parent Services Follow-Up Interview:                                                                            
    12-Month Follow-Up......................................        1,475            1            1        1,475
    18-Month Follow-Up......................................        1,412            1            1        1,412
    24-Month Follow-Up......................................        1,365            1            1        1,365
    36-Month Follow-Up......................................        1,334            1            1        1,334
Child Care Provider Interview:                                                                                  
    Child Care Centers......................................          408            1          .25          102
        Center Directors....................................          408            1          .17           69
        Direct Provider.....................................          408            1          .17           69
        Classroom Staff.....................................          119            1           .5           60
    Family Child Care.......................................           26            1          .17            4
    Providers...............................................          172            1           .5           86
        Family Provider.....................................           38            1          .17            6
        Assistants..........................................  ...........  ...........  ...........  ...........
    Relative Care Providers:                                                                                    
        Relative Provider...................................  ...........  ...........  ...........  ...........
        Assistants..........................................  ...........  ...........  ...........  ...........
Child Care Provider Observation Protocol:                                                                       
    Child Care Centers......................................          408            1            2          816
    Family Child Care.......................................          119            1            2          238
    Providers...............................................          172            1            2          344
    Relative Care Providers.................................  ...........  ...........  ...........  ...........
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 10,910                                                                     
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[[Page 9434]]

    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 public 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 
Services, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20447, Attn: 
ACF Reports Clearance Officer. 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.

    Dated: February 25, 1997.
Bob Sargis,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 97-5147 Filed 2-28-97; 8:45 am]
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