[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 26 (Thursday, February 7, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7290-7291]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 08-529]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    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.

[[Page 7291]]

    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 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.

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, FAX: 202-395-6974, 
Attn: Desk Officer for ACF.

    January 29, 2008.
Brendan Kelly,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 08-529 Filed 2-6-08: 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M