[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 41 (Thursday, March 2, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 10695]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-2943]



[[Page 10695]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

    In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public 
comment on proposed data collection projects (section 3506(c)(2)(A) of 
Title 44, United States Code, as amended by the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995, Public Health Law 104-13), the Health Resources and Services 
Administration (HRSA) publishes periodic summaries of proposed projects 
being developed for submission to OMB under the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995. To request more information on the proposed project or to 
obtain a copy of the data collection plans and draft instruments, call 
the HRSA Reports Clearance Officer at (301) 443-1129.
    Comments are invited 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) ways to enhance 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.

Proposed Project: Assessment of the State Maternal and Child Health 
Comprehensive Systems Grant (SECCS) Program (NEW)

    HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) is conducting an 
assessment of MCHB's State Maternal and Child Health Comprehensive 
Systems Grant (SECCS) Program. The purpose of the SECCS Program is to 
support state and local communities in their efforts to build 
comprehensive and coordinated early childhood service systems and to 
increase the leadership and participation of State MCH Title V programs 
in multi-agency early childhood systems development initiatives.
    The SECCS funding is offered to states, jurisdictions, or Territory 
Title V agencies in two stages: Planning and Implementation. This 
assessment will only focus on Implementation Grantees awarded in 2005 
(approximately 18 grantees) and 2006 (approximately 42 grantees). The 
purpose of the assessment is to determine: (1) Progress of 
implementation grantees in meeting the goals and objectives set forth 
in their plans developed during the planning phase and in building 
program infrastructure and capacity to improve early childhood services 
in their states/jurisdictions/territories, (2) programmatic, policy, 
and systemic barriers and facilitators that affect program 
implementation, and (3) quality and effectiveness of the technical 
assistance (TA) provided to the grantees. The results of the assessment 
will provide MCHB with timely feedback on the achievements of the SECCS 
Program and identify potential areas for improvement, which will inform 
program planning and operational decisions.
    As part of the study, all implementation grantees will be asked to 
complete a Minimum Data Set (MDS) survey, which will primarily include 
closed-ended questions addressing grantees' progress in achieving the 
requirements outlined in the implementation grant guidance. The MDS 
will primarily capture quantitative data on implementation grantees' 
progress in increasing the State MCH Program's role and leadership in 
multi-agency early childhood systems development initiatives and 
building partnerships and system capacity to improve early childhood 
services in their States.
    This survey will supplement and enhance the MCHB's current data 
collection efforts by providing a quantifiable, standardized, 
systematic mechanism for collecting information across the funded 
implementation grantees. For the 2005 cohort of implementation 
grantees, the MDS will be administered once in 2006 to gather baseline 
data, and again in the second year of implementation (2007) to gather 
follow-up data on progress made. For the 2006 cohort of grantees, the 
MDS will be administered once in 2007.
    Respondents: The SECCS implementation grantees (Title V agencies) 
funded in 2005 and 2006 will be the primary respondents of the 
instrument. Approximately 60 implementation grantees will respond to 
the MDS survey. The estimated response burden is as follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Number of     Responses per     Hours per      Total hour
                     Cohort                         respondents     respondent       response         burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2005 Cohort.....................................              18               2               2              72
2006 Cohort.....................................              42               1               2              84
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................              60               3  ..............             156
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    Send comments to Susan G. Queen, Ph.D., HRSA Reports Clearance 
Officer, Room 10-33, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, 
MD 20857. Written comments should be received within 60 days of this 
notice.

    Dated: February 23, 2006.
Tina M. Cheatham,
Director, Division of Policy Review and Coordination.
[FR Doc. E6-2943 Filed 3-1-06; 8:45 am]
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