[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 152 (Friday, August 7, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42403-42404]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-21111]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    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) 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 has subsequently awarded 
grants to an additional 107 local programs, for a total of 175 EHS 
programs.
    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 Mathematical 
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 of this Federal Register notice are 
intended for the third and final phase of the EHS evaluation.
    The sample for the child and family assessments will be 
approximately 3,000 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 3,000 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:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of    Average burden                
                   Instrument                        Number of     responses per     hours per     Total burden 
                                                    respondents     respondent       response          hours    
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
36-Month Parent Interview, Child Assessment, and                                                                
 Videotaping Protocol...........................             576               1             2.0           1,152
Child Care Provider Interview:                                                                                  
    Child Care Centers--                                                                                        
        Center Directors........................             161               1             .25              40
        Direct Provider.........................             161               1             .17              27
        Classroom Staff.........................             161               1             .17              27
    Family Child Care Providers.................              40               1              .5              20
        Family Provider Assistants..............               9               1             .17               1
    Relative Care Providers.....................             113               1              .5              57
        Relative Provider Assistants............              25               1             .17               4
Child Care Provider Observation Protocol:                                                                       
    Child Care Centers--                                                                                        
        Family Child Care Providers.............             161               1               2             321
        Relative Care Providers.................              40               1               2              79

[[Page 42404]]

                                                                                                                
          ......................................             113               1               2             227
Staff Questionnaire.............................             190               1               1             190
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
      Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours:......  ..............  ..............  ..............           2,146
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    Additional Information: 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.
    OMB Comment: OMB is required to make a decision concerning the 
collection of information between 30 to 60 days after publication of 
this document in the Federal Register. Therefore, a comment is best 
assured of having its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of 
publication. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent directly to the following: Office 
of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project, 725 17th Street, 
NW, Washington, DC 20503, Attn: Ms. Wendy Taylor.

    Dated: August 3, 1998.
Bob Sargis,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 98-21111 Filed 8-6-98; 8:45 am]
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