[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 109 (Friday, June 6, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31116-31117]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-14778]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Agency Information Collection Activities, Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

    Title: Early Head Start Evaluation Father Study.
    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. ACYF awarded grants to an 
additional 75 local programs in September 1996.
    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's 
Center for Young children and Families and to 15 EHS local research 
universities. The 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 second 
phase of the EHS evaluation.
    The sample for the assessments will be approximately 1,360 fathers 
from the 3,400 EHS sample families, whose mothers and infants/toddlers 
are participating in the study (see OMB #0970-0143) in 16 EHS study 
sites. Each family is randomly assigned to a treatment group or a 
control group. The assessments will be conducted through personal 
interviewing, 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 better understand the roles of fathers and father-figures 
with their children and in the EHS program.
    Respondents: Fathers or father-figures of children whose families 
are in the EHS national evaluation sample (both program and control 
group families).

[[Page 31117]]



                                             Annual Burden Estimates                                            
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                            Number of     Average               
                                                               Number of    responses      burden       Total   
                         Instrument                           respondents      per       hours per      burden  
                                                                            respondent    response      hours   
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24-Month Father Interview...................................          635            1          1.0          635
Father-Child Videotaping Protocol...........................          168            1          0.3           50
Estimated Total Annual Burden...............................                                                 685
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 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, DC 20047, Attn.: ACF Reports Clearance 
Officer. All requests should be identified by title.
    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: June 2, 1997.
Bob Sargis,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 97-14778 Filed 6-5-97; 8:45 am]
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