[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 57 (Tuesday, March 25, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14420-14422]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-7017]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Proposed Projects

    Title: National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System.
    OMB No.: 0980-0229.
    Description: The Administration on Children, Youth and Families 
established the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) 
to respond to the 1988 and 1992 amendments (Pub. L. 100-294 and Pub.

[[Page 14421]]

L. 102-295) to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 
5101 et seq.), as amended, which called for the creation of a 
coordinated national data collection and analysis program, both 
universal and case specific in scope, to examine standardized data on 
false, unfounded, or unsubstantiated reports. In 1988, ACYF embarked on 
a collaborative effort with the State to develop a voluntary national 
data collection and analysis program, to collect, compile, and make 
available State child abuse and neglect reporting information from 
child protective services agencies in the 50 States, the District of 
Columbia, and the territories. The first request for annual data was in 
July 1991. Data collection has continued on an annual basis. The 
Children's Bureau is currently preparing the 12th annual report based 
on the NCANDS data.
    In 1996, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act was amended 
by Public Law 104-235 to require that any State receiving the Basic 
State Grant work with the Secretary of the Department of Health and 
Human Services (HHS) to provide specific data on child maltreatment to 
the extent practicable. The legislation specified the following data 
elements.
    (1) The number of children who were reported to the State during 
the year as abused or neglected.
    (2) Of the number of children described in paragraph (1), the 
number with respect to whom such reports were--
    (A) Substantiated;
    (B) Unsubstantiated; or
    (C) Determined to be false.
    (3) Of the number of children described in paragraph (2)--
    (A) The number that did not receive services during the year under 
the State program funded under this section or an equivalent State 
program;
    (B) The number that received services during the year under the 
State program funded under this section or an equivalent State program; 
and
    (C) The number that were removed from their families during the 
year by disposition of the case.
    (4) The number of families that received preventive services from 
the State during the year.
    (5) The number of deaths in the State during the year resulting 
from child abuse or neglect.
    (6) Of the number of children described in paragraph (5), the 
number of such children who were in foster care.
    (7) The number of child protective services workers responsible for 
the intake and screening of reports filed in the previous year.
    (8) The agency response time with respect to each such report with 
respect to initial investigation of reports of child abuse or neglect.
    (9) The response time with respect to the provision of services to 
families and children where an allegation of abuse or neglect has been 
made.
    (10) The number of children protective services workers responsible 
for intake, assessment, and investigation of child abuse and neglect 
reports relative to the number of reports investigated in the previous 
year.
    (11) The number of children reunited with their families or 
receiving family preservation services that, within five years, result 
in subsequent substantial reports of child abuse and neglect, including 
the death of a child.
    (12) The number of children for whom individuals were appointed by 
the court to represent the best interests of such children and the 
average number of out-of-court contracts between such individuals and 
children.
    States that receive the Basic State Grant meet this information 
requirement by submitting the NCANDS data.
    The Children's Bureau proposes to continue collecting the NCANDS 
data through the two files of the Detailed Case Data Component, the 
Child File (the case-level component of NCANDS) and the Agency Field 
(additional aggregate data that cannot be collected at a case level). 
It also proposes to continue to accept the Summary Data Component 
Survey from States that are unable to submit the Child File for another 
2 years (FFY 2003 and FFY 2004). Technical assistance will be provided 
to States so that all States can provide the Child File and Agency File 
for FFY 2005 data.
    In order to improve the ability to integrate the data from NCANDS 
with the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting system 
(AFCARS) data, the Children's Bureau proposes to change the reporting 
period for submitting NCANDS data from calendar year reporting to a 
Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) basis starting with FFY 2003. These data will 
be requested in December 2003 to be submitted by March 2004.
    The Children's Bureau also proposes to modify the Child File in 
order to better meet the data needs of the Child and Family Services 
Review process and to provide additional data for the Children's 
Bureau. Two new fields, AFCARS ID and Family Structure, are being 
proposed. No changes to the Agency File or the Summary Data Component 
Survey are proposed.
    The information collected by NCANDS will be used to understand 
better the experiences of children and families served by CPS and to 
guide policy and program development at the national and local levels. 
An annual report, entitled Child Maltreatment, will continue to be 
published. Data collected through the NCANDS will also be used to 
support the Department in responding to the requirements of the 
Government Performance and Results Act; publishing State data in the 
annual report to Congress on child welfare outcomes; and monitoring 
States through the Child and Family and Services Review process.
    Respondents: State governments, the District of Columbia, and 
Puerto Rico.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
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                                                                     Number of    Average burden
                   Instrument                        Number of     responses per     hours per     Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent       response          hours
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Detailed Case Data Component (Child Field and                 52               1             113            5876
 Agency File by 46 States for first two years)..
Summary Data Component Survey (by 6 States for                 6               1              32             192
 only 2 years)..................................
                                                 -----------------
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours.........  ..............  ..............  ..............            6068
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    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

[[Page 14422]]

comments may be forwarded by writing to the Administration for Children 
and Families, Office of Information Services, 370 L'Promenade, SW., 
Washington, DC 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: March 19, 2003.
Bob Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 03-7017 Filed 3-24-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M