[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 55 (Monday, March 23, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15186-15189]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-06592]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request--Study on Nutrition and Wellness Quality in Childcare 
Settings (SNAQCS)

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) invites the general public and other 
public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection. 
This collection is a new collection for the Study on Nutrition and 
Wellness Quality in Childcare Settings (SNAQCS).

DATES: Written comments on this notice must be received on or before 
May 22, 2015.

ADDRESSES: 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, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions that were used; (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 
those who are to respond, including use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.

[[Page 15187]]

    Comments may be sent to: Joseph F. Robare, Food and Nutrition 
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 
1004, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also be submitted via fax to 
the attention of Joseph F. Robare at 703-305-2128 or via email to 
[email protected]. Comments will also be accepted through the 
Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to http://www.regulations.gov, and 
follow the online instructions for submitting comments electronically.
    All written comments will be open for public inspection at the 
office of the Food and Nutrition Service during regular business hours 
(8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday) at 3101 Park Center Drive, 
Room 1004, Alexandria, Virginia 22302.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will 
be a matter of public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of this information collection should be directed to Joseph F. 
Robare at 703-305-2128.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Study on Nutrition and Wellness Quality in Childcare 
Settings (SNAQCS).
    Form Number: N/A.
    OMB Number: Not Yet Assigned.
    Expiration Date: Not Yet Determined.
    Type of Request: New Collection.
    Abstract: Good nutrition is a key to proper childhood development, 
but not enough is known about the food children are eating in childcare 
and related programs. In 2011, 32.7 million children were in a regular 
childcare arrangement while their parents worked or pursued other 
activities outside of the home, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In 
recognition of the importance of nutrition and physical activity in 
childcare, Congress directed the USDA to conduct a Study on Nutrition 
and Wellness Quality in Childcare Settings (SNAQCS) in Section 223 of 
the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010. The objectives set 
out by Congress encompass four broad topics: (1) Nutritional quality of 
foods offered, (2) physical activity, (3) sedentary activity, and (4) 
barriers to and facilitators of nutritional quality, physical activity, 
and participation by childcare centers and family day care homes in the 
Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). For efficiency, USDA is 
coordinating the collection of other important variables with the 
section 223 data collection. The intent of the study is to document the 
quality of meals and snacks offered in childcare facilities, relative 
to the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) which are 
prepared by USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 
and the types of activities that might promote or inhibit healthy 
weight and development. The study will also provide insights into how 
nutritional quality and physical activity in childcare might be 
improved. Lastly, the study will collect data on the costs of childcare 
meals and snacks in relationship to CACFP reimbursements, other 
funding, and meal quality.
    The study will take place in the context of heightened concern 
about adequate nutrition, diet quality and obesity in young children. 
These concerns and developing knowledge about nutritional requirements 
for appropriate childhood growth, as reflected in the updated 2010 DGA, 
led the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Food and Nutrition Board to 
recommend new meal requirements for the CACFP in its 2010 report Child 
and Adult Care Food Program: Aligning Dietary Guidance for All. USDA 
recently published a proposed rule in the Federal Register to update 
the CACFP meal requirements based on these recommendations (January 15, 
2015; 80 FR 2037). While USDA has not yet implemented new CACFP meal 
requirements, the IOM recommendations provide significant benchmarks 
for assessing current meal quality in the CACFP. Moreover, a comparison 
between current meal characteristics and the IOM recommendations 
suggests the extent of change that would be required to implement the 
IOM recommendations. The need for research to establish a baseline of 
current meal characteristics and quality in childcare settings is 
acknowledged in the IOM report, as are the challenges of technical 
assistance, monitoring, and cost that would come with the 
implementation of new meal requirements. The proposed study will 
directly address key research recommendations from the IOM report.
    The study seeks to collect a broad range of data from a nationally 
representative sample which would include: (1) Sponsors, directors, 
food preparers and/or provider staff of childcare centers, family day 
care homes, and after-school programs that participate in the CACFP and 
those that do not participate in CACFP; and (2) children and parents of 
children receiving care from CACFP childcare centers, family day care 
homes, and after-school programs during 2015-2016. The sample is 
designed to provide required levels of statistical precision and data 
quality while minimizing data collection costs and respondent burden.
    To address the study's three broad categories of research 
questions, the data collection activities to be undertaken subject to 
this notice will include the following surveys, forms, and interviews:

 Nutrition and wellness policies and practices in childcare 
settings:
    [cir] Provider Web Survey
    [cir] Menu Survey
    [cir] Reference Portion Measurement Form
    [cir] Table Waste Observation Form
 Child intake and weight status:
    [cir] Child Food Diary (completed by parents)
    [cir] Standing Height and Weight Form (collected by study staff)
    [cir] Infant Food Intake Form
    [cir] Parent Interview
 Cost of meals provided in CACFP childcare setting:
    [cir] Sponsor Pre-visit Cost Survey
    [cir] Sponsor Pre-visit Cost Form
    [cir] Center Director Pre-visit Cost Survey
    [cir] Sponsor Cost Interview
    [cir] Center Director Cost Interview
    [cir] Food Preparer Cost Interview
    [cir] Overhead and Equipment Cost Worksheet

    In addition, the study will include an Environmental Observation 
Form and a Meal Observation Form that will be completed by study staff 
and do not have any associated burden for study participants.
    Affected Public: Respondent categories of affected public and the 
corresponding study participants will include: (a) Businesses (sample 
of childcare providers); and (b) individual/households (sample of 
children and their parents/guardians).
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 12,472. The total proposed final 
number of unique respondents will include: (a) 3,753 sponsors, 
directors, food preparers and/or provider staff of childcare centers, 
family day care homes, and after-school childcare providers childcare 
that participate in the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), 
and non-participating providers; (b) 3,000 children receiving care from 
CACFP childcare centers, family day care homes, and after-school 
programs; (c) 4,175 parents of children receiving care from CACFP 
childcare centers, family day care homes, and after-school childcare 
programs; and (d) 1,544 non-respondents.
    Estimated Frequency of Responses per Respondent: 1.91 annually. All 
respondents will be asked to respond to or complete instruments as 
follows: (a)

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Sponsors will be asked to complete the Sponsor Pre-visit Cost Survey, 
the Sponsor Pre-visit Cost Form, and the Sponsor Cost Interview; (b) 
directors will be asked to complete the Provider Web Survey, the Center 
Director Pre-visit Cost Survey, the Center Director Cost Interview, and 
the Overhead & Equipment Cost Worksheet; (c) food preparers will be 
asked to complete the Menu Survey, the Reference Portion Measurement 
Form, the Table Waste Observation Form, and the Food Preparer Cost 
Interview; (d) provider staff will be asked to complete the Infant Food 
Intake Form; (e) children will be asked to cooperate with study staff 
who will weigh and measure them for the Standing Height and Weight 
Form; and (f) parents will be asked to complete a Parent Interview and 
the Child Food Diary for a childcare day, a non-childcare day, and a 
subsample will be asked to complete a third diary which could be either 
a childcare day or a non-childcare day. All respondents will be asked 
to respond to or complete each instrument only once with the exception 
of parents who will be asked to complete a Child Food Diary on 2-3 
days.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 23,767.
    Estimated Time per Response: 35 minutes (0.59 hours). The estimated 
time of response varies from 4 minutes (0.07 hours) to 195 minutes 
(3.25 hours) depending on the respondent group, as shown in the table 
below. These estimates include time to read the initial materials as 
well as follow-up activities.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 13,945.99 hours. See 
the table below for estimated total annual burden for each type of 
respondent.

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                                                                                                                                 Average    Total annual
                                          Data collection                                Estimated    Frequency      Total        burden    burden hours
           Affected public                    activity             Respondents \a\       number of   of response     annual     hours per     estimate
                                                                                        respondents                responses     response      (hours)
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Businesses \b\......................  Provider Web Survey....  Non-respondents........          352            1          352         0.07         24.64
                                                               Directors..............        1,539            1        1,539         1.00      1,539.00
Businesses \b\......................  Menu Survey (online)...  Non-respondents........          352            1          352         0.07         24.64
                                                               Food preparers.........        1,539            1        1,539         2.93      4,509.27
Businesses \b\......................  Reference Portion        Non-respondents........           44            1           44         0.07          3.08
                                       Measurement Form.       Food preparers.........          532            1          532         0.25        133.00
Businesses \b\......................  Table Waste Observation  Non-respondents........           20            1           20         0.07          1.40
                                       Form.                   Food preparers.........          372            1          372         0.08         29.76
Businesses \b\......................  Infant Food Intake Form  Non-respondents........            2            1            2         0.07          0.14
                                                               Provider staff.........           75            1           75         0.75         56.25
Businesses \b\......................  Sponsor Pre-visit Cost   Non-respondents........          143            1          143         0.07         10.01
                                       Survey.                 Sponsors...............          600            1          600         0.17        102.00
Businesses \b\......................  Sponsor Pre-visit Cost   Non-respondents........          143            1          143         0.07         10.01
                                       Form.                   Sponsors...............          600            1          600         0.17        102.00
Businesses \b\......................  Center Director Pre-     Non-respondents........          143            1          143         0.07         10.01
                                       visit Cost Survey.      Directors..............          600            1          600         0.25        150.00
 Businesses \b\.....................  Sponsor Cost Interview   Non-respondents........          143            1          143         0.07         10.01
                                       (inperson).             Sponsors...............          600            1          600         3.25      1,950.00
Businesses \b\......................  Center Director Cost     Non-respondents........          143            1          143         0.07         10.01
                                       Interview (inperson).   Directors..............          600            1          600         0.75        450.00
Businesses \b\......................  Food Preparer Cost       Non-respondents........          143            1          143         0.07         10.01
                                       Interview (inperson).   Food preparers.........          600            1          600          0.5        300.00
Businesses \b\......................  Overhead & Equipment     Non-respondents........          143            1          143         0.07         10.01
                                       Cost Worksheet.         Directors..............          600            1          600         0.17        102.00
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  Subtotal Businesses...............  .......................  .......................        4,602         2.18       10,028         0.95      9,547.25
Individuals/Households..............  Standing Height and      Non-respondents........          158            1          158         0.07         11.06
                                       Weight Form.            Children (collected by         3,000            1        3,000         0.08        240.00
                                                                on-site study staff).
Individuals/Households..............  Child Food Diary         Non-respondents........          315            1          315         0.07         22.05
                                       (Childcare day).        Parents (reporting on          2,685            1        2,685         0.50      1,342.50
                                                                children).
Individuals/Households..............  Child Food Diary (Non-   Non-respondents........          537            1          537         0.07         37.59
                                       childcare day).         Parents (reporting on          2,148            1        2,148         0.67      1,439.16
                                                                children).
Individuals/Households..............  Child Food Diary (Third  Non-respondents........           85            1           85         0.07          5.95
                                       day).                   Parents (reporting on            416            1          416         0.58        241.28
                                                                children).
Individuals/Households..............  Parent interview.......  Non-respondents........          220            1          220         0.07         15.40
                                                               Parents................        4,175            1        4,175         0.25      1,043.75
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    Subtotal Individuals/Households.  .......................  .......................        7,870         1.75       13,739         0.32      4,398.74
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        Grand Total.................  .......................  .......................       12,472         1.91       23,767         0.59     13,945.99
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Notes:
\a\ In some cases, an alternate respondent may be called upon by the respondent to provide specific information to complete the data collection
  activity. For example, the director may need specific information from a staff person involved in food preparation in order to complete the section of
  the form asking about meal and snacks policies if he/she does not have this information.
\b\ Most of the childcare providers that will be included in the study will be businesses, though some will be operated by school districts and thus are
  public. No data are currently available to allow us to determine the percent that are businesses and the percent that are public. Similar to our
  procedures for determining burden in other studies of this population, we have classified all providers as businesses.



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    Dated: March 17, 2015.
Audrey Rowe,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-06592 Filed 3-20-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-30-P