[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 227 (Tuesday, November 27, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66179-66180]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-5842]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Proposed Project

    Title: Descriptive Study of Early Head Start (DSEHS).
    OMB No.: New Collection.
    Description: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), requests clearance 
to recruit Early Head Start (EHS) programs for participation in the 
Descriptive Study of Early Head Start (DSEHS) and to conduct a pilot 
test of potential measures.
    DSEHS is a longitudinal study of a representative sample of 
programs and children in three age cohorts, which will collect 
information about programs, families, and services. When completed, 
data will be collected on a sample of approximately 2,100 children and 
families from 60 EHS programs. Data will be collected in four waves: 
Fall 2008, Fall 2009, Fall 2010, and Fall 2011. Children and families 
will be followed until children are three years old and exit EHS 
programs.
    Data collected under DSEHS will complement information gathered 
under the Survey of Early Head Start Programs (SEHSP), OMB Control No. 
0992-0008. SEHSP gathered information on the management systems, 
services, and characteristics of children and families served by EHS 
programs. To complement this information, DSEHS will gather information 
on the needs and characteristics of children and families enrolled in 
EHS programs, including an assessment of children's and families' 
needs, how programs meet

[[Page 66180]]

the needs of children and families in EHS programs, and how children 
and families in EHS programs progress over time.
    The activity proposed under this notice includes only the data 
collected during the selection and recruitment of programs to 
participate in DSEHS and a pilot study on the feasibility of proposed 
measures.
    To select and recruit programs, ACF intends to send letters to 
program directors of selected EHS programs. Directors will receive a 
summary of the study goals that will include an overview of the design 
and data collection, a brochure describing the study, and examples of 
the consent materials for enrolling study participants. Programs will 
not be asked to enroll participants during the initial selection and 
recruitment phase.
    Selected programs may also receive a follow-up phone call to answer 
questions from EHS directors or staff. Program directors will be asked 
to provide information on the numbers of families enrolled with 
children who will be within two months of the target ages at the time 
of each of the four fall data collections.
    ACF intends to conduct a feasibility pilot study at two EHS 
programs in June 2008. In the pilot study, ACF will test the 
feasibility of administering various direct child assessment measures 
and parent interviews.
    Respondents: EHS Program Directors, Parents, and Children.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
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                                                                     Number of    Average burden     Estimated
                   Instrument                      Annual number   responses per     hours per     annual burden
                                                  of respondents    respondent       response          hours
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Recruitment materials sent to program sites.....              60               1             .25              15
Program roster of children in target ages.......              60               1             .50              30
Pilot Test--Child Assessment....................              40               1             1.0              40
Pilot Test--Parent Interview....................              40               1             1.0              40
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    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 125.
    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 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: November 20, 2007.
Brendan C. Kelly,
OPRE Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 07-5842 Filed 11-26-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M