[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 54 (Monday, March 23, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 12135]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-6039]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

    Proposed Project:
    Title: Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM) Demonstration and 
Evaluation Project--Wave 2 Survey.
    OMB No. 0970-0339.
    The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department 
of Health and Human Services, is conducting a demonstration and 
evaluation called the Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM) Project. SHM is 
a test of marriage education demonstration programs in eight sites that 
will enroll about 800 couples per site, with half assigned to 
participate in the SHM program, and the other half assigned to the 
control group.
    SHM is designed to inform program operators and policymakers of the 
effectiveness of programs designed to help low-income married couples 
strengthen and maintain healthy marriages and improve outcomes for 
adults and children.
    This notice of information collection is for a second adult survey 
instrument and new instruments to obtain information from children and 
youth about 30 months after study entry and for an extension of the 
period of approval for the first survey and observation instruments, 
which are used to obtain information from research participants about 
12 months after study entry.
    The proposed second wave of information collection will involve:
     An adult survey instrument to assess study participants' 
longer term marital status and stability, quality of relationships, and 
a range of other measures.
     A survey of focal children of study participants in both 
the program and control groups who are over 8 years of age (the youth 
survey).
     A direct child assessment of focal children of study 
participants in both the program and the control groups who are 8 years 
of age or younger.
    Respondents: Low-income married couples and their children in the 
SHM evaluation research sample.

                                             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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12-month adult survey...........................           4,267               1            0.83           3,542
12-month adult observational study..............           1,632               1            0.66           1,077
12-month child observational study..............             816               1            0.33             269
2nd wave (30-month) adult survey................           4,267               1            0.83           3,542
Youth survey (30-month).........................             633               1            0.50             317
Child observational study (30-month)............           1,329               1            0.50             665
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    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 9,412.
    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 Planning, Research and Evaluation, 370 
L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447, Attn: OPRE 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: March 11, 2009.
Brendan C. Kelly,
OPRE Reports Clearance Officer.
 [FR Doc. E9-6039 Filed 3-20-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M