[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 187 (Wednesday, September 27, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56539-56540]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-8272]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Title: Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Reviews; Child and Family 
Services Reviews; Anti-Discrimination Enforcement.
    OMB No.: 0970-0214.
    Description: The following five separate activities are associated 
with this information collection:
     Foster Care Eligibility Review (FCER) Program Improvement 
Plan;
     Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSR) State agency 
Statewide Assessment;
     CFSR On-site review;
     CFSR Program Improvement Plan; and
     Anti-Discrimination Enforcement Corrective Action Plan.
    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 informaiton 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 
4371(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).

[[Page 56540]]

    The information collection is needed: (1) To ensure compliance with 
title IV-E foster care eligibility requirements; (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, help ensure that claims by States for title IV-E 
funds are made on behalf of title IV-E eligible children, and require 
States to revise applicable statutes, rules, policies and procedures, 
and provide proper training to staff, through the development and 
implementation of corrective action plans. These reviews not only 
address compliance with eligibility requirements but also assist States 
in enhancing the 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 1356.7 (i) Program Improvement Plan                     7               1              90             630
 (FCER).........................................
45 CFR 1366.33 (b) Statewide Assessment (CFSR)..              13               1             240           3,120
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                   1               1             780             780
 Plan (Anti-discrimination enforcement).........
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 22,860.
    Additional Information: Copies of the proposed collection may be 
obtained 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. All requests should be identified by the title of the 
information collection. 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 
Office for ACF, E-mail address: [email protected].

    Dated: September 20, 2006.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 06-8272 Filed 9-26-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M