[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 67 (Friday, April 7, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17890-17891]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-3348]


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

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Title: Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM) Project Baseline Data 
Collection.
    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. 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 project is a large-scale, multi-site, multi-
year, rigorous test of marriage education programs for interested low-
income married couples with children. 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 baseline data collection will serve several key functions in 
the SHM study. It will help describe the population being served, which 
will be useful to the programs themselves, to other marriage education 
program providers, and to policymakers who seek to understand the 
characteristics of couples that are interested in marriage education 
services. It will allow the SHM team to define and conduct analyses of 
key sub-groups, addressing the key study question of who benefits most 
and least from marriage education services. A baseline data collection 
will also increase the precision of estimated impacts and allow the 
research team to conduct analyses using pre- and post-intervention 
measures. Lastly, the baseline data collection is an opportunity to 
collect participant contact information, to check the validity of 
random assignment, and to

[[Page 17891]]

assess the quality of survey data and attrition.
    Respondents: The target population of the SHM study is low-income 
married couples with children or expecting a child. Both members of the 
couple must be over 18, and both must volunteer to participate in the 
program. In addition, SHM is not intended for couples who are in 
dangerous relationships or who are experiencing serious family 
violence. Programs will provide opportunities for the safe disclosure 
of family violence, as well as access to appropriate services when 
family violence is disclosed.
    The respondents for the Supporting Healthy Marriage Project 
Baseline Data Collection will be participants in the SHM study. This 
will include both those receiving SHM program services and those in the 
SHM study control group. The respondents will be both spouses of 1,000 
low-income married couples (2,000 respondents) in each of up to eight 
sites. The total number of respondents could be up to 16,000. In 
summary, the evaluation will include up to 8 sites phased in over four 
years, in which case the annual burden can be represented by one 
quarter of the total burden. The chart below outlines the estimated 
annual burden that could result from the SHM baseline data collection. 
The estimates below are based on pre-tests of the baseline instrument 
with individuals similar to the SHM target population.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                  Annual  number     Number of        Average        Estimated
                   Instrument                           of         responses per    burden per     annual burden
                                                    respondents     respondent    response (min)       hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eligibility Checklist...........................           4,000               1               5             332
Informed Consent Form...........................           4,000               1              10             668
Baseline Information Form.......................           4,000               1               9             600
Self-Administered Questionnaire.................           4,000               1              11             732
Contact Information Sheet.......................           4,000               1              10             668
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 3,000.
    Additional Information: Copies of the proposed collection may be 
obtained 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. E-mail 
address: [email protected].
    OMB Comment: OMB is required to make a decision concerning the 
collection of information between 30 and 60 days after publication of 
this document in the Federal Register. Therefore, a comment is best 
assured of having its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of 
publication. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent directly to the following: Office 
of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project, Attn: Desk 
Officer for ACF, E-mail address: [email protected].

    Dated: March 31, 2006.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 06-3348 Filed 4-6-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M