[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 33 (Thursday, February 17, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8173-8174]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-3738]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


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, Regional Offices of ACF (62 FR49243) as last 
amended, September 19, 1997. This notice reflects the restructuring of 
the Midwest Regional Hub in Region V.
    This Chapter is amended as follows:
1. Chapter KD, Regional Offices of ACF
    A. Delete KD5.10 Organization in its entirety and replace with the 
following:
    KD5.10 Organization. The Administration for Children and Families, 
Region 5, is organized as follows:

Office of the Regional Hub Director (KD5A)
Office of Family Self-Sufficiency Programs (KD5C)
Office of Family and Child Development Programs (KD5D)

    B. Delete KD5.20 Functions, Paragraph A, in its entirety and 
replace with the following:
    KD5.20 Functions. A. The Office of the Regional Hub Director is 
headed by a Director, who reports to the Assistant Secretary for 
Children and Families through the Director, Office of Regional 
Operations. In addition, the Office of the Regional Hub Director has a 
Deputy Regional Hub Director. 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, collaborative relationships and improved customer 
service. The Office 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 its 
recommendations to the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families 
concerning state plan disapproval. The Office contributes to the 
development of national policy based on regional perspectives for all 
ACF programs. It oversees ACF operations and the management of ACF 
regional staff; coordinates activities across regional programs; 
coordinates Hub initiatives and operations; and assures that goals and 
objectives are carried out. The Office alerts the Assistant Secretary 
for Children and Families to problems and issues that may have 
significant regional, hub or national impact. It represents ACF at the 
regional level in executive communications within ACF, with the HHS 
Regional Director, other HHS operating divisions, other federal 
agencies, and public or private local organizations representing 
children and families.
    The Deputy Regional Hub Director serves as the full deputy or 
``alter ego'' to the Regional Hub Director, Administration for Children 
and Families. The Deputy assists the Hub Director with responsibility 
for providing executive direction, leadership and coordination to all 
ACF programs, financial operations and related activities in the Region 
and Hub. The Deputy has primary responsibility for managing the day to 
day operations. In the absence of the Hub Director, the Deputy acts on 
all matters within the jurisdiction of the Hub Director with full 
authority.
    Within the Office of the Regional Hub Director, are the Management 
and Administration, Internal Systems and Technology, and Fiscal 
Integrity Teams along with the Grants Officer. The Deputy supervises 
and directs the activities of these teams focusing on regional 
administrative functions, including budget planning and execution, 
procurement, facility and property management, financial management, 
internal systems, employee relations, human resources development, 
performance management, media inquiries and public affairs activities.
    1. The Management and Administration Team directs and facilitates 
the development of regional work plans related to the overall ACF 
strategic plan; tracks, monitors and reports on regional and Hub 
progress in the attainment of ACF national goals and objectives; and 
coordinates and manages special and sensitive projects. Additionally it 
manages administrative functions, budget planning and execution and 
human resource development. It serves as the focal point for public 
affairs, in accordance with the ACF Office of Public Affairs and in 
conjunction with the HHS Regional Director; and assists the Regional 
Hub Director in the management of cross-cutting initiatives and 
activities among the regional and Hub components.
    2. The Internal Systems and Technology Team oversees the management 
and coordination of automated systems, facility management, 
telecommunications and web based operations for the region. It provides 
data management support to all Regional Office components, including 
the development of automated systems applications to support and 
enhance program, fiscal and administrative operations.
    3. The Fiscal Integrity Team is responsible for providing 
centralized financial management and technical administration of 
certain ACF formula, discretionary, entitlement and block grant 
programs. These programs include Temporary Assistance to Needy 
Families, Child Support, Child Welfare Services, Foster Care and 
Adoption Assistance, Child Abuse and Neglect, Developmental 
Disabilities and Runaway and Homeless Youth. It provides expert grants 
management technical support to the Office of Family Self-Sufficiency 
and the Office of Family and Child Development to resolve complex 
problems in such areas as cost allocation, accounting principles, 
audit, deferrals and disallowances.
    4. 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 controls and checks and balances to ensure 
financial discretionary grants integrity in all phases of the grants 
process. The Grants Officer, in conjunction with the Fiscal Integrity 
Team, provides guidance to program offices on more complex financial 
management issues. The Grants Officer approves and signs all 
discretionary grants.
    C. Delete KD5.20 Functions, Paragraph B, in its entirety and 
replace with the following:
    KD5.20 Functions. B. The Office of Family Self-Sufficiency Programs 
is headed by a Director who reports to the Deputy Regional Hub 
Director. The Office of Family Self-Sufficiency represents the Regional 
Hub Director in dealing with ACF central office, states and grantees on 
all program and financial management policy matters for programs under 
its jurisdiction. It

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provides guidance and direction to States and grantees to improve the 
efficiency and effectiveness of ACF programs. It alerts the Deputy 
Regional Hub Director to problems or issues that have significant 
implications for the programs.
    The Office consists of two branches operating collaboratively 
within a Tri-State team environment to administer Child Support 
Enforcement; Child Welfare Services, Foster Care and Adoption 
Assistance, Child Abuse and Neglect; Temporary Assistance to Needy 
Families and Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs for assigned states. 
The two branches provide policy guidance to states to assure consistent 
and uniform adherence to federal requirements governing formula, 
entitlement, block and discretionary grant programs. The Two Branches 
are the Illinois, Indiana, Michigan Branch and the Minnesota, Ohio, 
Wisconsin Branch.
    The Office also consists of the Program Integration and 
Collaboration Team and the External Systems and Data Team. The Program 
Integration and Collaboration Team provides administrative support, 
training, and facilitation of cross-cutting program initiatives and 
projects. The External Systems and Data Team has responsibility for 
oversight of state systems projects for ACF programs. In coordination 
with the Hub and other Regional Office components, it monitors state 
systems projects and is the focal point for technical assistance to 
states and grantees on the development and enhancement of automated 
systems.
    D. Delete KD5.20 Functions, Paragraph C, in its entirety and 
replace with the following:
    KD5.20 Functions. C. The Office of Family and Child Development is 
headed by a Director who reports to the Deputy Regional Hub Director. 
The Office is responsible for providing centralized program, financial 
management and technical administration of certain ACF discretionary, 
formula and block grant programs, such as Head Start, Early Head Start, 
Developmental Disabilities and the Child Care and Development Fund. The 
Office of Family and Child Development represents the Regional Hub 
Director in dealing with ACF central office, states and grantees on all 
program and financial management policy matters for programs under its 
jurisdiction. It alerts the Deputy Regional Hub Director to problems or 
issues that have significant implications for the programs.
    The Office consists of three branches operating collaboratively 
within a Bi-State team environment to administer Head Start, Early Head 
Start and Child Care programs and a Program Integration and 
Collaboration Team. The Program Integration and Collaboration Team 
provides administrative support, training and facilitation of cross-
cutting program initiatives and projects in addition to administering 
the Developmental Disabilities Program. The Head Start and Child Care 
branches provide policy guidance to states and grantees to assure 
consistent and uniform adherence to federal requirements governing 
discretionary and block grant programs. It provides guidance and 
direction to States and grantees to improve the efficiency and 
effectiveness of ACF programs.
    A Financial Management Officer is located in each branch of the 
Office of Family and Child Development to provide expertise in business 
and other non-programmatic areas of grants administration and to help 
ensure that grantees fulfill requirements of law, regulations and 
administrative policies. The Office establishes regional financial 
management priorities; reviews cost allocation plans, and makes 
recommendations to the Regional Hub Director to disallow costs under 
ACF discretionary, formula and block grant programs. The Office issues 
grant awards based on a review of project objectives, budget 
projections and proposed funding levels. As applicable, it makes 
recommendations on the clearance and closure of audits of state and 
grantee programs, paying particular attention to deficiencies that 
decrease the efficiency and effectiveness of ACF programs and taking 
steps to resolve such deficiencies.

    Dated: February 10, 2000.
Diann Dawson,
Director, Office of Regional Operations.
[FR Doc. 00-3738 Filed 2-16-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-P