[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 15, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 8743]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-3176]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

    Title: National Survey of Early Care and Education.
    OMB No.: New Collection.
    Billing Accounting Code (BAC): 418423 (CAN G999916).
    Description: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is proposing a data 
collection activity as part of the National Survey of Early Care and 
Education (NSECE) which will be conducted December, 2011 through June, 
2012. The objective of the NSECE is to document the nation's current 
need for and availability of early care and education and including 
school-age care (ECE/SA), and to deepen our understanding of the extent 
to which families' needs and preferences coordinate well with 
providers' offerings and constraints. The proposed collection will 
consist of four survey components: (1) A survey of households with 
children under the age of 13 for participation in a questionnaire on 
the need for and use of early care and education (Household Interview), 
(2) a survey of households with individuals providing care for children 
under the age of 13 in a residential setting (Home-based Provider 
Interview), (3) a survey of providers of care to children under 13 in a 
non-residential setting (Center-based Provider Interview), and (4) a 
survey conducted with individuals employed in center-based child care 
programs (Workforce Provider Interview).
    These data collection efforts will provide urgently needed 
information about the provision of ECE/SA across the country and 
spanning many sectors of care providers such as community-based child 
care, Head Start, school-based Pre-K, family child care, family, friend 
and neighbor care, and after-school programs. The study will also 
dramatically extend the available resources for understanding how 
families use, seek, and cope with the ECE/SA choices that are available 
to them. Perhaps most significantly, the NSECE will allow the policy 
and research communities to merge data from families and providers at 
the local level--where the two actually meet.
    Respondents: General population households, home-based and center-
based child care providers (including public schools) serving children 
under 13, and selected staff members from center-based child care 
providers (including public schools) serving children under 13.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Number of       Average        Estimated
                    Instrument                      Annual number   responses per   burden hours   annual burden
                                                   of respondents    respondent     per response       hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Household screener...............................          83,767               1            .1            8,377
Household Interview..............................          17,512               1            .75          13,134
Home-Based Provider Interview....................          11,260               1            .3            3,378
Center-Based Provider Interview..................          12,520               1            .67           8,389
Workforce Provider Interview.....................           9,390               1            .33           3,099
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 36,377.
    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: February 8, 2011.
Steven P. Hanmer,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011-3176 Filed 2-14-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M