[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 120 (Thursday, June 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35910-35911]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-5606]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Proposed Projects

    Title: Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Reviews; Child and Family 
Services Reviews; Anti-Discrimination Enforcement.
    OMB No. 0970-0214.
    Description: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is 
requesting authority to renew an existing information collection that 
is expiring October 31, 2006. The initial information collection was 
contained in the final rule transmitting the Department's monitoring 
protocols for assessing title IV-E eligibility and payment accuracy, 
the Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSR), enforcement of the title 
IV-E anti-discrimination requirements, and certain provisions of the 
Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997. Five separate activities are 
associated with this information collection.
    The collection of information for review of Federal payments to 
States for foster care maintenance payments (45 CFR 1356.71(i)) is 
authorized by title IV-E of the Social Security Act (the Act), section 
474 [42 U.S.C. 674]. The Foster Care Eligibility Reviews (FCER) ensure 
that States claim title IV-E funds on behalf of title IV-E eligible 
children.
    The collection of information for review of State child and family 
services programs (45 CFR 1355.33(b), 1355.33(c) and 1355.35(a)) to 
determine whether such programs are in substantial conformity with 
State plan requirements under parts B and E of the Act is authorized by 
section 1123(a) [42 U.S.C. 1320a-1a] of the Act. The CFSR looks at both 
the outcomes related to safety, permanency and well-being of children 
served by the child welfare system and at seven systemic factors that 
support the outcomes.
    Section 474(d) of the Act [42 U.S.C. 674] deploys enforcement 
provisions (45 CFR 1355.38(b) and (c)) for the requirements at section 
471(a)(18) [42 U.S.C. 671], which prohibit the delay or denial of 
foster and adoptive placements based on the race, color, or national 
origin of any of the individuals involved. The enforcement provisions 
include the execution and completion of corrective action plans when a 
State is in violation of section 471(a)(18).
    The information collection is needed: (1) To conduct Federal onsite 
eligibility reviews of the title IV-E foster care program; (2) to 
monitor State plan requirements under titles IV-B and IV-E of the Act, 
as required by Federal statute; and (3) to enforce the title IV-E anti-
discrimination requirements through State corrective action plans. The 
resultant information will allow ACF to determine if States are in 
compliance with State plan requirements and are achieving desired 
outcomes for children and families, as well as ensure that claims by 
States for title IV-E funds are made on behalf of

[[Page 35911]]

title IV-E eligible children. These reviews not only address compliance 
with eligibility requirements, but also assist States in enhancing 
their capacities to serve children and families. In computing the 
number of burden hours for this information collection, ACF based the 
annual burden estimates on ACF's and States' experiences in conducting 
reviews and developing program improvement plans.
    Respondents: State Agencies.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of        Average
                   Instrument                        Number of     responses per   burden hours    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent     per response        hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
45 CFR 1356.71(i) Program improvement plan                     5               1              90             450
 (FCER).........................................
45 CFR 1355.33(b) State agency statewide                      13               1             240           3,120
 assessment (CFSR)..............................
45 CFR 1355.33(c) On-site review (CFSR).........              13               1           1,170          15,210
45 CFR 1355.35(a) Program improvement plan                    13               1             240           3,120
 (CFSR).........................................
45 CFR 1355.38(b) and (c) Corrective action plan               1               1             780             780
 (Anti-discrimination enforcement)..............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 22,680.
    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 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: 
[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: June 15, 2006.
Robert Sargis,
Report Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 06-5606 Filed 6-21-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M