[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 64 (Thursday, April 3, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15897-15901]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-8534]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families


Regional Offices; 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 (61 FR 68045), as last amended, December 26, 
1996. This Notice reflects the organizational changes for Regions 8 and 
9 and the reorganization for Region 4.
    I. Amend Chapter KD as follows:
    KD.10  Organization. Delete in its entirety and replace with the 
following:
    KD.10  Organization. Regions 8 and 9 are organized as follows:


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Office of the Regional Administrator (KD8A)
Office of the Regional Hub Director (KD9A)
Office of Financial Operations (KD8B and KD9B)
Office of Family Security (KD8C and KD9C)
Office of Family Supportive Services (KD8D and KD9D)

    II. After the end of KD3.20 Functions (61 FR 68045, 12/26/96), 
Paragraph D, and before KD5.10 Organization (60 FR 34284, 06/30/95), 
insert the following:
    KD 4.10  Organization. The Administration for Children and 
Families, Region 4, is organized as follows:

Office of the Regional Hub Director
Office of the Deputy Regional Administrator
Division of Community Programs
Division of State Programs

KD4.20  Functions. A. The Office of the Regional Hub Director is headed 
by the Hub Director who reports to the Assistant Secretary for Children 
and Families through the Director, Office of Regional Operations. The 
Office is responsible for the Administration for Children and Families' 
key national goals and priorities. It represents ACF's regional 
interests, concerns, and relationships within the Department and among 
other Federal agencies and focuses on State agency culture change, more 
effective partnerships, and improved customer service. With the 
assistance of the executive staff, the Office of the Regional Hub 
Director provides executive leadership and direction to state, county, 
city, 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 approval, where applicable. The Office 
contributes to the development of national policy based on perspectives 
on all ACF programs. It oversees ACF operations and the management of 
ACF regional staff; coordinates activities across regional programs; 
and assures that ACF goals 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 provides executive 
representation for ACF in regional external communications, and serves 
as ACF liaison with the HHS Regional Director, other HHS operating 
divisions, other federal agencies, and public or private local 
organizations representing children and families.
    The Administrative staff, headed by an Executive Officer, provides 
day-to-day support for regional administrative functions, including 
internal ACF regional budget and financial management, performance 
management, procurement, property management, internal systems, 
employee relations, and training and human resource development 
activities. An Information Officer within the Office serves as the 
clearinghouse for responding to all media inquiries.
    The Office oversees the management and coordination of the internal 
automation systems in the Southeast Regional Hub, maintaining and 
ensuring proper function of all servers, computers and associated 
software and network capabilities, including maintaining proper 
interface between ACF Region IV and Central Office systems and 
networks.
    B. The Office of the Deputy Regional Administrator consists of the 
Deputy, a Secretary, a Special Assistant and the Grants Officer. The 
Developmental Disabilities (DD) function also resides in this Office. 
Developmental Disabilities staff assist states and tribes in the design 
and implementation of a comprehensive and continuing plan for providing 
quality services to persons with developmental disabilities. This 
office also serves as a resource for information for service providers 
at the regional, state and local level in the development of policies 
and programs to reduce or eliminate barriers experienced by 
developmentally disabled persons; and supports and encourages programs 
or services to prevent developmental disabilities.
    The Deputy Regional Administrator serves as the full deputy or 
``alter ego'' to the Regional Hub Director, Administration for Children 
and Families. The Deputy assists the Director with responsibility for 
providing executive direction, leadership and coordination to all ACF 
programs, financial operations and related activities in the Hub 
region. The Deputy has primary responsibility for overseeing day-to-day 
program operations. In the absence of the Director, the Deputy Director 
acts on all matters within the jurisdiction of the Director, with full 
authority.
    The Grants Officer, functioning independently of all program 
offices, provides program staff with expertise in the technical and 
other non-programmatic areas of grants administration, and provides 
appropriate internal control and checks and balances to ensure 
financial integrity in all phases of the grants process.
    C. The Division of Community Programs is headed by a Director who 
reports to the Deputy Regional Administrator. The Division is 
responsible for the ACF oversight and technical administration of the 
Head Start and Runaway and Homeless Youth grants, discretionary and 
formula grants funded directly from ACF to community-based grantees. 
The Division provides policy guidance to county, city, town or tribal 
governments and public and private organizations to assure consistent 
compliance with federal requirements and the adoption of appropriate 
policies and procedures. The Division performs systematic on-site 
reviews of grantees to determine compliance with applicable federal 
requirements, requiring correction of identified deficiencies and, 
where necessary, adverse actions including defunding of dysfunctional 
grantees.
    The Division performs systematic fiscal reviews, makes 
recommendations to the Deputy Regional Administrator and Hub Director/
RA to approve or disallow costs under the ACF discretionary grant 
regulations, and makes recommendations regarding grant approval and 
disapproval. The Division issues discretionary grant awards based on a 
review of project objectives, budget projections, and proposed funding 
levels. The Division makes recommendations on the clearance and closure 
of grantee audits, paying particular attention to financial management 
deficiencies that decrease the efficiency and effectiveness of program 
service delivery to customers, and taking steps to monitor the 
resolution of such deficiencies. The Division oversees the management 
and coordination of the Head Start automation systems such as PC Cost 
and Head Start Cost systems for budget analysis on Head Start refunding 
applications, and to monitor grantee systems projects such as the Head 
Start Program Information Report (PIR), Child Plus, Head Start 
Management Tracking System and the Head Start Bulletin Board.
    The Division represents the Hub Director/RA in dealing with 
grantees on all matters of program policy and financial matters under 
its jurisdiction, providing early warnings on problems

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or issues that may have significant implications for ACF programs 
operated by local grantees.
    D. The Division of State Programs is headed by a Director who 
reports to the Deputy Regional Administrator. The Division is 
responsible for providing centralized management, financial management 
services, and technical administration of ACF formula, block and 
entitlement programs including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families 
(TANF), Child Care, Child Support Enforcement, Foster Care and Adoption 
Assistance, Child Welfare, Family Preservation and Support Services, 
and Child Abuse and Neglect.
    The Division oversees the management and coordination of external 
automated systems in the region, and provides data management and 
statistical analysis support to all regional office components. Data 
management responsibilities include the development of automated system 
applications to support and enhance program, fiscal, administrative 
operations, and the compilation and analysis of data on demographic and 
service trends that assist in ACF monitoring and oversight 
responsibilities. The Division's external systems responsibilities 
include monitoring state systems projects and providing technical 
assistance to states on the development and enhancement of automated 
systems. The Division represents the Regional Hub Director on State 
systems matters with ACF central office, states, and contractors.
    The Division provides policy guidance to state, county, city, town 
or tribal governments and public and private organizations to assure 
consistent and uniform adherence to federal requirements governing ACF 
grants. State plans are reviewed and recommendations made to the 
Regional Hub Director concerning state plan approval or disapproval. 
The Division provides technical assistance to entities responsible for 
administering ACF grants, resolving identified problems and ensuring 
adoption of appropriate procedures and practices that promote policy 
compliance and program efficiency and effectiveness.
    The Division provides financial management oversight for ACF grants 
under its jurisdiction, reviews cost allocation plans, program 
objectives, budget projections, cost estimates, and reports. The 
Division performs systematic fiscal reviews and makes recommendations 
to the Regional Hub Director to approve, defer, or disallow claims for 
financial participation in ACF grants. As applicable, the Division 
makes recommendations regarding the clearance and closure of audits, 
paying particular attention to financial management deficiencies that 
decrease the efficiency and effectiveness of ACF programs and closely 
monitors the resolution of such deficiencies.
    The Division represents the Regional Hub Director in dealing with 
entities receiving ACF funding on all matters under its jurisdiction, 
and in providing early warnings on problems or issues that may have 
significant implications for ACF programs.

    Dated: March 27, 1997.
Olivia A. Golden,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Children and Families.

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[FR Doc. 97-8534 Filed 4-2-97; 8:45 am]
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