[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 97 (Monday, May 21, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28493-28494]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-2501]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request 
Proposed Projects

    Title: Case Plan Requirement, Section 442, 471(a)(16), 475(1) and 
475(5)(A) of the Social Security Act.
    OMB No.: 0980-0140.
    Description: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is 
requesting authority to renew an existing information collection that 
is expiring October 31, 2007. The collection of information for the 
case plan requirement is authorized by titles IV-B, Section 422 (42 
U.S.C. 422), and IV-E, Sections 471 and 475 (42 U.S.C. 471 and 475) of 
the Social Security Act (the Act). States must develop State plans for 
both Titles IV-B and IV-E that are approved by the Secretary, U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services. Both plans require that States 
maintain a case review system that periodically reviews case plans

[[Page 28494]]

developed for each child receiving services under the Act.
    Title IV-B provides for child welfare services funding and title 
IV-E provides for foster care maintenance payments for eligible 
children. Sections 442(b)(2) and (8)(A)(ii) of the Act require States 
to coordinate services and assistance under Federal programs, including 
titles IV-B and IV-E, and to ensure that States are operating a case 
review system that meets the review system that meets the requirements 
of section 475(5) of the Act.
    Title IV-E funding, Section 471(a) of the Act, requires that State 
plans provide for the development of a case plan for each child 
receiving foster care maintenance payments and provide for a case 
review system that meets the requirements described in section 
475(5)(B) of the Act with respect to each child.
    The case plan is a written document that provides a narrative 
description of the child-specific program of care that addresses the 
needs of each child regarding safety, permanency and well-being. 
Federal regulations at 45 CFR 1356.21(g) and section 475(1) of the Act 
delineate the specific information that should be addressed in the case 
plan. ACF neither specifies a recordkeeping format for the case plan 
nor requires submission of the case plan to the Federal Government. 
Case plan information is recorded in a format developed and maintained 
by State child welfare agencies. Case plans are periodically reviewed 
under the purview of State case review systems.
    In computing the number of burden hours for this information 
collection, ACF based the annual burden estimates on States' 
experiences in developing case plans.
    Respondents: State title IV-B and title IV-E Agencies.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  Number for    Average  burden
                 Instrument                      Number of      responses per      hours per       Total burden
                                                respondents       respondent        response          hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Case Plan...................................         701,461                1             2.60        1,823,799
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,823,799.
    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 of 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 
address: [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 fro 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: May 15, 2007.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 07-2501 Filed 5-18-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M