[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 120 (Wednesday, June 23, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 35040]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-14169]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Proposed Projects

    Title: Survey of Early Head Start Programs.
    OMB No.: New Collection.
    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) within the Administration for Children and 
Families (ACF) developed the Early Head Start program. Early Head Start 
programs are designed to produce outcomes in four domains: (1) Child 
development, (2) family development, (3) staff development, and (4) 
community development. As a requirement of the Reauthorization Act, 
ACYF funded a rigorous randomized trial to study the effectiveness of 
Early Head Start programs, sampling from 17 programs funded in the 
initial years. That research found positive effects of the program 
overall in a variety of areas, as well as effects for different program 
types and levels of implementation, and among study participants with 
different characteristics.
    The aim of the current research is to obtain a national picture of 
Early Head Start. This initiative will begin a process of describing 
how the Early Head Start initiative has grown over time, how programs 
are currently implementing services, and who is being served. The study 
will be conducted between September 2004 and May 2005.
    The data will consist of a survey of all Early Head Start programs 
in October 2004 and site visits to a selected sample of 25 programs in 
early 2005. All data collection instruments have been designed to 
minimize the burden on respondents by minimizing the time required to 
respond. Participation in the study is voluntary.
    The results of the research will be used by the Head Start Bureau 
and ACF to gain a better understanding of changes in program processes 
and services over time, to identify areas of strength and weakness in 
order to target training and technical assistance or further research 
efforts, and finally, to provide a broader context for lessons learned 
from the impact study.
    Respondents: Early Head Start directors, Early Head Start 
coordinators and specialists, teachers, home visitors, and parents of 
Early Head Start children.

Annual Burden Estimates

    Estimated Response Burden for Respondents to the Survey of Early 
Head Start Programs

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                                                                     Number of    Average burden
                   Instrument                        Number of     responses per     hours per     Annual burden
                                                    respondents     respondent       response          hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Survey of Programs (2004).......................         \a\ 595               1             3.0         1,785.0
Site Visit Protocol (2005):
    Director Protocol...........................              25               1             3.0            75.0
Coordinator/Specialist Protocol: \b\
    Community Partnership.......................              25               1             1.0            25.0
    Disabilities................................              25               1             1.0            25.0
    Early Childhood.............................              25               1             1.0            25.0
    Family Partnership..........................              25               1             1.0            25.0
    Home Visiting...............................              25               1             1.0            25.0
Teacher Protocol \c\............................             125               1             1.5           187.5
Home Visitor Protocol \c\.......................             125               1             1.5           187.5
Parent Protocol \c\.............................             125               1             1.5           187.5
                                                 -----------------
    Total for Site Visits.......................             525  ..............  ..............          762.5
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\a\ Assumes 85 percent response rate for the survey.
\b\ Not all programs will have staff in each position, therefore, burden estimates for some programs may be
  overstated.
\c\ Assumes group interviews with up to five individuals per site. Assumes that all sites have both home
  visitors and teachers, although when that is not the case, the burden estimates will be overstated.

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,547.5.
    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 comments may be forwarded 
by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of 
Information Services, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 
20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer. All requests should be 
identified by the title of the information collection. E-mail address: 
[email protected].
    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: June 16, 2004.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 04-14169 Filed 6-22-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M