[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 73 (Friday, April 16, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19977-19978]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-8718]


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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, Title IV-E of the Social Security 
Act.
    OMB No.: 0980-0140.
    Description: Under section 471(a)(16) of title IV-E of the Social 
Security Act (the Act), to be eligible for payments, states must have 
an approved title IV-E plan that provides for the development of a case 
plan for each child for whom the State receives foster care maintenance 
payments and that provides a case review system that meets the 
requirements in section 475(5) and 475(6) of the Act. The Fostering 
Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 
110-351) added a new section 479B to the Act providing authority at 
479B(b) for an Indian Tribe, tribal organization or tribal consortia 
(hereafter ``Tribe'') to elect to operate a title IV-E program with an 
approved title IV-E plan. Tribes are to operate a program in the same 
manner as states and must provide for a case plan for each child and 
for a case review system.
    The case review system assures that each child has a case plan 
designed to achieve placement in a safe setting that is the least 
restrictive (most family-like) setting available and in close proximity 
to the child's parental home, consistent with the best interest and 
special needs of the child. Through these requirements, States and 
Tribes also comply, in part, with title IV-B section 422(b) of the Act, 
which assures certain protections for children in foster care.
    The case plan is a written document that provides a narrative 
description of the child-specific program of care. 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. The 
Administration for Children and Families (ACF) does not specify a 
recordkeeping format for the case plan nor does ACF require submission 
of the document to the Federal government. Case plan information is 
recorded in a

[[Page 19978]]

format developed and maintained by the State or Tribal child welfare 
agency.
    Respondents: State and Tribe title IV-B and title IV-E agencies.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                   Number of        Average
                  Instrument                       Number of     responses per   burden hours     Total burden
                                                  respondents     respondent     per response         hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Case Plan.....................................         603,453               1            3.98    2,401,74, 2.94
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,401,74, 2.94.
    In compliance with the requirements of Section 506(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: April 13, 2010.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2010-8718 Filed 4-15-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-P