[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 182 (Wednesday, September 21, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55402-55403]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-18771]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

    Proposed Projects:
    Title: Evaluation of Child Care Subsidy Strategies.
    OMB No.: New Collection.
    Description: To conduct four experiments to test aspects of the 
child care subsidy system. Two simultaneous experiments will occur in 
Cook County, Illinois; one will occur in Washington State; and one will 
occur in Massachusetts.
    Illinois. The State of Illinois has agreed to conduct two 
simultaneous experiments, which will occur in Cook County. The first 
will test the impact of receiving a child care subsidy on parental 
employment and income, and on the stability of child care arrangements; 
the second experiment will test the impact of losing a subsidy on the 
same set of outcomes. For the first experiment, families with incomes 
above the current income eligibility ceiling who apply for subsidies 
will be approved to receive subsidies. In the second experiment, 
families in the treatment group with incomes above the eligibility 
ceiling who apply to be recertified to continue using subsidies will 
remain eligible. In addition, each experiment will test the effects of 
a longer certification period by certifying eligibility for some 
families for six months and other families for one year. Families in 
the two treatment groups will retain eligibility for subsidies over the 
two-year study period, provided their income remains below the 
experimental limit and they comply with other requirements (e.g., 
continue to work). Outcomes will be measured through administrative 
records and periodic interviews with parents.
    Washington. In Washington State, the study will test a co-payment 
schedule that smoothes out what are currently abrupt increases in co-
payments that occur when a family moves from one income category to the 
next and reduces the co-payment burden for many

[[Page 55403]]

families. Families that apply (or reapply) for subsidies and are 
determined to be eligible under current rules will be randomly assigned 
to the experimental co-payment schedule or the existing schedule. 
(Families with co-payments from the experimental schedule will either 
pay the same amount, or less, than families whose co-payments are 
calculated using the existing schedule.) Families will retain the same 
co-payment schedule for two years, provided they continue to be 
eligible for subsidies. Outcomes will be measured through analysis of 
administrative data and periodic interviews with parents.
    Massachusetts. In Massachusetts, the study is an experimental test 
of the effectiveness of a developmental curriculum implemented in 
family child care homes. Family child care providers who serve 
subsidized and other low-income children and are linked to family child 
care networks will be randomly assigned to a treatment or control 
group. Providers in the treatment group will use the developmental 
curriculum and be trained through regular visits to the home by 
specially trained mentors. These providers will receive materials to 
use with children from 0 to 5 years of age. Providers in the control 
group will receive the more general technical assistance and support 
visits that they currently receive. Impacts on provider behavior and 
the home environment will be measured through direct observations in 
the homes. Child assessments will be conducted through provider reports 
for the younger children and through standardized tests for children 30 
months and older.
    Respondents: Illinois. Parents who apply (or reapply) for subsidies 
and are eligible and agree to be in the study will be interviewed by 
telephone up to three times in the 24 months after they enter the 
study.
    Washington State. Parents who apply (or reapply) for subsidies and 
are eligible and agree to be in the study will be interviewed by 
telephone up to three times over the 24 months of the study. 
Approximately 30 state employees working at the Department of Health 
and Human Services in the Division of Child Care and Early Learning or 
the Division of Community Service will be interviewed as part of the 
implementation study.
    Massachusetts. Children will be assessed 7 months after 
implementing the curriculum, after 11 months, and after 23 months. 
Providers will be asked to respond to a brief survey 7 and 23 months 
after the study begins.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
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                                                                    Number of         Average
                   Instrument                       Number of     responses per    burden hours    Total  burden
                                                   respondents      respondent     per response        hours
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Illinois parent survey.........................           5,000              1.5             .58           4,350
Washington parent survey.......................           2,000              1.5             .58           1,740
Washington process study interview.............              30               .5             .5                8
Massachusetts child assessments................             700              1.5             .5              525
Massachusetts provider questionnaire...........             350              1               .16              56
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    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 6,679.
    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 colleciton 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: September 15, 2005.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance, Officer.
[FR Doc. 05-18771 Filed 9-20-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M