[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 210 (Monday, November 1, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63399-63400]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-24346]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Proposed Projects

    Title: ACF/HHS Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM) Evaluation Focus 
Groups.
    OMB No.: New Collection.
    Description: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is conducting a 
demonstration and evaluation called the Supporting Healthy Marriage 
(SHM) Project. The project is a large-scale, multi-site, multi-year, 
rigorous test of marriage education programs for interested low-income 
married couples, and is based on a substantial body of research that 
has shown a relationship between healthy marriages and a variety of 
positive child and family outcomes. The SHM Project is designed to 
inform program operators and policymakers of the most effective ways to 
help couples who voluntarily choose to participate in demonstrations 
designed to strengthen and maintain healthy marriages. The focus groups 
will provide key information about the perspectives of low-to-moderate-
income couples regarding marriage, relationships, and marriage 
education programs; assist ACF and program managers in designing 
responsive healthy marriage programs; and will help to ensure that the 
project is testing the strongest possible program models for its target 
populations.
    Respondents: The respondents will be selected to represent low-to-
moderate income couples in each of the following categories, whose 
views can help us to design effective SHM programs: Married couples and 
those planning to marry, couples with and without children, and couples 
who have had experience with marriage education programs as well as 
those who have not. There will also be an effort to include African 
American and Hispanic couples. Focus groups will be divided into 
separate discussions for those who are married and for those who are 
planning to marry. Each of these focus groups will be further separated 
into discussions for couples, for men only, and for women only. Each 
focus group will have approximately 10 respondents for a total of 180 
respondents over 2 years (approximately 12 focus groups will take place 
in the first year and 6 focus groups in the second). Total burden hours 
are listed in the table that follows.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of        Average
                   Instrument                        Number of     responses per   burden hours    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent     per response        hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Married Mixed Gender Focus Group Protocol.......              40               1               2              80
Married Male Focus Group Protocol...............              40               1               2              80
Married Female Focus Group Protocol.............              40               1               2              80
Planning-to-Marry Mixed Gender Focus Group......              20               1               2              40
Planning-to-Marry Male Focus Group Protocol.....              20               1               2              40
Planning-to-Marry Female Focus Group Protocol...              20               1               2              40
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 63400]]

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 360.
    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 
Administration, Office of Information Services, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, 
SW., Washington, DC 20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer. E-mail 
address: [email protected]. 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: October 26, 2004.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 04-24346 Filed 10-29-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M