[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 38 (Tuesday, February 27, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8684-8685]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-3309]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed collection; 
Comment Request--Evaluation of the Nebraska Rural Area Eligibility 
Determination for Day Care Homes Pilot

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) invites the general public and other 
public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection.
    This notice announces FNS' intent to request from the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) approval to collect information for the 
evaluation of impacts of the Rural Area Eligibility Determination for 
Day Care Homes Pilot in Nebraska.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before April 30, 2007.

ADDRESSES: 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, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (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 those who 
are to respond, including use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.
    Comments may be sent to Dr. John A. Kirlin, Contracting Officer's 
Representative, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may 
also be submitted via fax to the attention of John A. Kirlin at 703-
305-2576 or via e-mail to [email protected].
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will be a matter of public 
record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of this information collection should be directed to John A. 
Kirlin at 703-305-2128.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Evaluation of the Nebraska Rural Area Eligibility 
Determination for Day Care Homes Pilot.
    OMB Number: Not Yet Assigned.
    Expiration Date: Not yet determined.
    Type of Request: New collection of information.
    Abstract: As authorized by Public Law 108-265 (Section 119 of the 
Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004), which amended 
Section 17 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, 42 
U.S.C. 1766 (p), the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), on behalf of the 
Secretary of Agriculture, is evaluating the impacts of the Rural Area 
Eligibility Determination for Day Care Homes pilot in Nebraska. The 
two-year pilot expands the threshold for determining eligibility for 
the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) in rural areas of 
Nebraska where poor economic conditions exist. The State of Nebraska is 
authorized by this legislation to use either school data (on the 
percent of students qualifying for free or reduced-price school 
lunches) or census data to determine the eligibility threshold for 
higher (tier I) reimbursement rates. During the two-year pilot, the 
area eligibility threshold is reduced from the current criterion (50 
percent of students qualifying for free or reduced-price school 
lunches) to 40 percent, thereby letting more areas qualify for higher 
reimbursement rates. The pilot runs from October 1, 2005 through 
September 30, 2007.
    The evaluation of the pilot will examine the impact of the reduced 
area

[[Page 8685]]

eligibility threshold on: (1) The number of family day care homes 
offering meals through the CACFP in rural areas; (2) the number of 
family day care homes offering meals as a tier I entity, that would 
otherwise be defined as tier II family day care home under program 
regulations; (3) the geographic location of the family day care homes; 
(4) a description of services provided to eligible children; and (5) 
other factors determined by the Secretary. The evaluation will collect 
information from CACFP staff at the Nebraska Department of Education, 
from CACFP sponsor agencies in the state, from family day care 
providers, and from parents of children in family day care homes. Two 
surveys will be conducted: A survey of a random sample of family day 
care providers (Provider Survey); and a survey of a random sample of 
providers who drop out of the CACFP program after the pilot ends and 
reimbursement levels for some providers decrease (Exit Survey). A 
report of the results of the evaluation is due to Congress no later 
than March 31, 2008.
    Affected Public: Two respondent groups are identified: (1) A random 
sample of all rural family day care providers in Nebraska who 
participate in the CACFP at the time of the planned survey (Summer 
2007), and (2) a random sample of all rural family day care providers 
in Nebraska who exit the CACFP program after the end of the pilot.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 632. The estimated number of 
respondents to the Provider Survey is 582. The estimated number of 
respondents to the Exit Survey is uncertain because the number of 
exiting providers is unknown. The evaluation contractor will survey up 
to 50 respondents as part of the Exit Survey.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: The number of 
responses per respondent is one for each of the two surveys. Because 
both surveys will contact random samples of the family day care 
community in rural areas of Nebraska, however, it is possible that some 
exiting providers who are contacted for the second survey may also have 
responded to the first survey. If the probability of exiting is equally 
distributed across the approximately 1,350 rural providers in Nebraska, 
and if at least 50 rural providers leave the CACFP program after the 
pilot ends, the a priori likelihood of a provider being sampled for 
both surveys is approximately 1.6 percent (i.e., about a 43 percent 
chance of being selected for the Provider Survey times about a 3.7 
percent chance of being selected for the Exit Survey).
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 632.
    Estimated Time per Response: 38.4 minutes (0.64 hours). The 
estimated average time to respond to the Provider Survey is 40 minutes 
(0.67 hours), based on a pre-test of the draft instrument in December 
2006 and subsequent revisions based on pre-test results. The data 
collection instrument for the Exit Survey cannot be pre-tested because 
the pilot will not end until September 30, 2007. The Exit Survey 
instrument shares many questions with the Provider Survey instrument, 
however, and the pre-test results for the Provider Survey are used to 
estimate average response time for the Exit Survey, which is 20 minutes 
(0.33 hours).
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 405 hours.

    Dated: February 16, 2007.
Roberto Salazar,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. E7-3309 Filed 2-26-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P