[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 216 (Tuesday, November 8, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78598-78599]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-26939]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Title: National Study of Title IV-E Child Welfare Waiver 
Demonstrations.
    OMB No.: New Collection.
    Description: The National Study of the Title IV-E Child Welfare 
Waiver Demonstrations is sponsored by the Children's Bureau, 
Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services and involves the conduct of a cross-site 
study of jurisdictions (referred to as waiver jurisdictions) approved 
to operate demonstrations authorized by section 1130 of the Social 
Security Act, as amended by the Child and Family Services Improvement 
and Innovation Act, Public Law 112-34. The demonstrations involve 
waivers of certain provisions of the foster care program authorized by 
title IV-E of the Social Security Act. Child welfare agencies in waiver 
jurisdictions are operating demonstrations to implement a variety of 
programs and interventions that serve children and families in an 
effort to improve their safety, permanency, and well-being. Each waiver 
jurisdiction is required to conduct a third-party evaluation of its 
demonstration. The National Study will examine the extent to which 
safety, permanency, and well-being outcomes have improved for children 
and families; the characteristics of waiver jurisdictions where 
improvements in outcomes have occurred; expenditure patterns and the 
types of activities for which waiver jurisdictions have increased 
funding; and the extent to which waiver jurisdictions have experienced 
practice and systems-level changes.
    The National Study uses a mixed-method approach to examine 25 
waiver jurisdictions (including 23 states, the District of Columbia and 
one tribal government) with Terms and Conditions approved in Federal 
Fiscal years 2012, 2013, and 2014. Proposed data collection methods are 
two topically-focused telephone surveys: (a) A telephone survey of 
waiver jurisdiction representatives and evaluators who are focused on 
measuring well-being, and (b) a second telephone survey of waiver 
jurisdiction representatives and evaluators that is focused on 
understanding practice and systems-level changes within child welfare 
service systems. Also proposed is a Web-based survey of waiver 
jurisdiction representatives and evaluators that will look more broadly 
at the implementation of waiver demonstrations and corresponding 
changes in child welfare policy, practice, and financing. Two sampling 
survey forms are being proposed to collect the necessary contact 
information for respondents to the Web-based survey and the telephone 
survey focused on understanding practice and systems-level changes 
within child welfare service systems. Data collected through these 
instruments will be used by the Children's Bureau to gain an 
understanding of the jurisdictions' collective experience with 
implementing their demonstrations.
    Respondents: The respondents to the Web-Based Survey will be a 
purposive sample of an estimated 250 waiver jurisdiction 
representatives and evaluators drawn from the 25 waiver jurisdictions 
with waiver demonstration projects (Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, 
Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, 
Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Port Gamble 
S'Klallam Tribe, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, 
Washington DC, West Virginia, Wisconsin). The respondents will be 
identified by the 25 jurisdiction demonstration project leaders using 
the Web-Based Survey Sampling Form. The Web-Based Survey Sampling Form 
and the Web-Based Survey will be administered once during the National 
Study. The respondents to the Measuring Well-Being telephone survey 
will be a census sample of the 23 evaluators identified from the 23 
waiver jurisdictions who are involved with the assessment of child and 
family well-being in their waiver jurisdictions. The Measuring Well-
Being telephone survey will be administered once during the National 
Study. The respondents to the Practice and Systems-Level Change 
telephone survey will be a purposive sample of 60 respondents 
identified from 14 waiver jurisdictions who are knowledgeable about 
practice, policy, and organizational changes in their respective waiver 
jurisdictions. The respondents will be identified by the 14 
jurisdiction demonstration project leaders using the Practice- and 
Systems-Level Change Survey Sampling Form. The Practice- and Systems-
Level Change Survey Sampling Form and the Practice and Systems-Level 
Change telephone survey will be administered once during the National 
Study.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of    Average burden
                   Instrument                        Number of     responses per     hours per     Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent       response          hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Web-Based Survey Sampling Form..................              25               1            0.33            8.25
Web-Based Survey................................             250               1            0.33            82.5
Measuring Well-Being Telephone Survey...........              23               1               1              23
Practice- and Systems-Level Change Survey                     14               1            0.25             3.5
 Sampling Form..................................
Practice- and Systems-Level Change Telephone                  60               1               1              60
 Survey.........................................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 177.25.
    Additional Information: Copies of the proposed collection may be 
obtained by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, 
Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, 330 C Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20201. Attention Reports Clearance Officer. All requests 
should be identified by the title of the information collection. Email 
address: [email protected].
    OMB Comment: OMB is required to make a decision concerning the 
collection of information between 30 and 60 days after publication of 
this document in the Federal Register. Therefore, a comment is best 
assured of having its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of 
publication. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent directly to the following: Office 
of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project, Email: 
[email protected], Attn: Desk Officer for the

[[Page 78599]]

Administration for Children and Families.

Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-26939 Filed 11-7-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4184-01-P