[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 219 (Tuesday, November 13, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67651-67653]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-27465]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

    Title: Permanency Innovations Initiative Evaluation: Phase 2.
    OMB No.: 0970-0408.
    Description: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), 
U.S. Department of Health and Human

[[Page 67652]]

Services (HHS) intends to collect data for an evaluation of the 
Permanency Innovations Initiative (PII). This 5-year initiative, funded 
by the Children's Bureau (CB) within ACF, is intended to build the 
evidence base for innovative interventions that enhance well-being and 
improve permanency outcomes for particular groups of children and youth 
who are at risk for long-term foster care and who experience the most 
serious barriers to timely permanency.
    The CB has funded six grantees to identify local barriers to 
permanent placement and implement innovative strategies that mitigate 
or eliminate those barriers and reduce the likelihood that children 
will remain in foster care for three years or longer. The first year of 
the initiative focused on clarifying grantees' target populations and 
intervention programs. In addition, evaluation plans were developed to 
support rigorous site-specific and cross-site studies to document the 
implementation and effectiveness of the grantees' projects and the 
initiative overall.
    Data collection for the PII evaluation includes a number of 
components being launched at different points in time. Phase 1 included 
data collection for a cross-site implementation evaluation and site-
specific evaluations of two PII grantees (Washoe County, Nevada, and 
the State of Kansas). Phase 1 data collection was approved August 2012 
(OMB 0970-0408).
    The second phase includes site-specific evaluations of four PII 
grantees expected to implement interventions in the third year of the 
PII grant period. The four grantees are Arizona Department of Economic 
Security (ADES); California Department of Social Services' California 
Partnership for Permanency (CAPP); Illinois Department of Children and 
Family Services (DCFS); and the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center's 
Recognize Intervene Support Empower (RISE). Later submission for a cost 
study is planned for late Spring 2013, with data collection to begin in 
late Fall 2013.
    Data for the evaluations will be collected through: (1) Surveys of 
children, youth, foster parents, guardians, biological parents, and 
caseworkers; and (2) document reviews of case records.
    Respondents: Children/youth and their parents or permanent or 
foster caregivers, caseworkers.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Number of    Average burden
                   Instrument                      Total annual    Annual number   responses per     hours per
                                                   burden hours   of respondents    respondent       response
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADES:
    Child Assent Form, Child Assent Script......             115             383             1.0             0.3
    Child/Youth Interview.......................             383             383             2.0             0.5
    Caseworker Prospective-Homes-Found Consent                 7              72             1.0             0.1
     Information Sheet..........................
    Caseworker Interview Prospective-Homes-Found              22              72             1.0             0.3
    Caseworker Decision-Making Consent                         7              72             1.0             0.1
     Information Sheet..........................
    Caseworker Interview Decision-Making........              36              72             1.0             0.5
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
        ADES annual burden hours................             570  ..............  ..............  ..............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CAPP:
    Parent/Guardian Interview...................             179             597             1.0             0.3
    Caseworker Data Extraction..................             149             298             1.0             0.5
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
        CAPP annual burden hours................             328  ..............  ..............  ..............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DCFS:
    Biological Parent Consent...................              13             134             1.0             0.1
    Foster Parent Consent.......................              24             240             1.0             0.1
    Youth Assent................................              24             240             1.0             0.1
    Biological Parent Interview.................              80             134             2.0             0.3
    Foster Parent Interview.....................             384             240             2.0             0.8
    Youth Interview.............................             384             240             2.0             0.8
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
        DCFS annual burden hours................             909  ..............  ..............  ..............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RISE:
    Staff Consent...............................             400           2,000             2.0             0.1
    Staff Survey................................             800           2,000             2.0             0.2
    Youth Assent to Learn about the Study.......               8              27               1             0.3
    Youth Assent to Participate in the Study....               8              27               1             0.3
    Child Attorney Consent......................               5              27               1             0.2
    Youth Interview.............................             135              27               5             1.0
    Qualitative Youth Interview FAQ/Assent......               1               7               1             0.2
    Youth Qualitative Interview.................               7               7               1             1.0
    Permanency Resource/Current Caregiver FAQ/                 1              13               1             0.1
     Contact Consent............................
    Permanency Resource/Current Caregiver                      1              13               1             0.1
     Consent....................................
    Interview with Permanency Resource..........              59              13               5             0.9
    Interview with Current Caregiver............              33              13               5             0.5
    Survey of CCT Facilitators Emotional                       1               1               5             0.2
     Permanency Survey..........................
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
        RISE annual burden hours................           1,459  ..............  ..............  ..............
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
            OVERALL ANNUAL BURDEN HOURS.........           3,266  ..............  ..............  ..............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 67653]]

    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. Email 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.

Steven M. Hanmer,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-27465 Filed 11-9-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-P