[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 140 (Thursday, July 23, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36490-36491]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-17429]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

    In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public 
comment on proposed data collection projects (section 3506(c)(2)(A) of 
Title 44, United States Code, as amended by the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13), the Health Resources and Services 
Administration (HRSA) publishes periodic summaries of proposed projects 
being developed for submission to OMB under the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995. To request more information on the proposed project or to 
obtain a copy of the data collection plans and draft instruments, e-
mail [email protected] or call the HRSA Reports Clearance Officer at 
(301) 443-1129.
    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; (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 respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.

Proposed Project: Evaluation of the State Early Childhood Comprehensive 
Systems (ECCS) Grant Program: New

    HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) is conducting an 
assessment of MCHB's State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) 
Grant Program. The purpose of the ECCS Grant Program is to assist 
States and Territories in their efforts to build and implement 
Statewide ECCS that support families and communities in their 
development of children that are healthy and ready to learn at school 
entry. These systems must be multi-agency and be comprised of the key 
public and private agencies that provide services and resources to 
support families and communities in providing for the healthy physical, 
social, and emotional development of all young children. Grantees are 
also charged with addressing seven key elements of early childhood 
comprehensive systems: (1) Governance, (2) financing, (3) 
communications, (4) family leadership development, (5) provider/
practitioner support, (6) standards, and (7) monitoring/accountability. 
ECCS funding is offered to 52 States and Jurisdictions.
    An evaluation will be conducted to: (1) Identify and analyze the 
strategies that grantees and partners are using to build comprehensive 
early childhood systems, (2) measure the level of progress grantees 
have made in meeting both the overarching Federal goals and objectives 
for ECCS grantees and those of their statewide plans, and (3) assess 
the effectiveness of grantees' early childhood systems development 
activities. The information from the evaluation will supplement and 
enhance MCHB's current data collection efforts by providing a 
quantifiable, standardized, systematic mechanism for collecting 
information across the funded implementation grantees. The results will 
also provide MCHB with timely feedback on the achievements of the ECCS 
Program and identify potential areas for improvement which will inform 
program planning and operational decisions.
    Data collection tools for which OMB approval is being requested 
include Web-based surveys, telephone interviews, and a Web-based 
indicator reporting system. Web-based surveys are intended to collect 
information from all grantees regarding the structure and functioning 
of the State Team, the nature of activities, and perceptions of 
progress made in achieving outcomes. One survey will be directed at 
ECCS Coordinators while a second similar, but shorter survey will be 
directed at selected State Team members (5 State Team members from each 
State). The telephone interviews will be conducted with ECCS 
Coordinators to collect more detailed information on how early 
childhood services have been integrated, challenges and successes of 
implementation, and how the activities are designed to improve the 
lives of children and families. ECCS Coordinators will also be asked to 
enter information on three early child and family outcome indicators 
and provide a theory of change, or rationale, on how a specific ECCS 
activity or set of related activities will produce a measurable change 
in each outcome indicator.
    Respondents: ECCS Coordinators and State Team members from the 52 
grantees will be the primary respondents for the instruments. The 
estimated response burden is as follows:

[[Page 36491]]



                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Table
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                                                                     Number of        Average
             Forms                   Type of         Number of     responses per   burden hours    Total burden
                                   respondent       respondents     respondent     per response        hours
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Web-based Survey..............  ECCS                          52               1            0.75              39
                                 Coordinators.
Web-based Survey..............  State Team                   260               1             0.3              78
                                 Members.
Telephone Interview...........  ECCS                          52               1             1.5              78
                                 Coordinators.
Indicator Reporting System....  ECCS                          52               1             1.5              78
                                 Coordinators.
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.....................                               416  ..............  ..............             273
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    E-mail comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA Reports 
Clearance Officer, Room 10-33, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, 
Rockville, MD 20857. Written comments should be received within 60 days 
of this notice.

    Dated: July 16, 2009.
Alexandra Huttinger,
Director, Division of Policy Review and Coordination.
[FR Doc. E9-17429 Filed 7-22-09; 8:45 am]
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