[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 3, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 381-382]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-28374]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

    Title: Evaluation of the Family Unification Program.
    OMB No.: New Collection.
    Description: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is 
proposing an information collection activity to assess the impact, 
through rigorous evaluation, of participation in the Family Unification 
Program (FUP) on child welfare involvement and child maltreatment. The 
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds and administers 
FUP. Through the program, vouchers are provided to families for whom 
the lack of adequate housing is a primary factor in (a) the imminent 
placement of the family's child, or children, in out-of-home care or 
(b) the delay in the discharge of the child, or children, to the family 
from out-of-home-care. The program aims to prevent children's placement 
in out-of-home care, promote family reunification for children placed 
in out-of-home care, and decrease new reports of abuse and neglect. 
Vouchers may also be provided to youth transitioning from foster care 
who do not have adequate housing, although this population is not the 
focus of this evaluation.
    The evaluation will contribute to understanding the effects of FUP 
on project participants' child welfare involvement. The evaluation will 
be conducted in approximately ten sites, with random assignment of FUP-
eligible families to program and control groups. The evaluation 
consists of both an impact study and an implementation study. Data 
collection for the impact study will be exclusively through 
administrative data. Data collection for the implementation study will 
be through site visits and collection of program data. Data collection 
activities will span 3 years.
    Implementation study data collection will occur at three points in 
time: (1) Prior to the implementation (``preliminary''), (2) 6-9 months 
into the implementation (``first''), and (3) 18-21 months into 
implementation (``follow-up'') time periods. Semi-structured interviews 
will be conducted with agency/organization management (preliminary, 
first) and FUP management (first, follow-up), and focus groups will be 
conducted with front-line staff (first, follow-up). Program data, 
including a referral form and questionnaires regarding housing 
assistance and other services, will be collected through forms 
completed by frontline staff. FUP management staff will also complete 
an online randomization tool and a form (``dashboard'') to facilitate 
monitoring of the evaluation.
    This evaluation is part of a larger project to help ACF build the 
evidence base in child welfare through rigorous evaluation of programs, 
practices, and policies. It will also contribute to HUD's understanding 
of how housing can serve as a platform for improving quality of life.
    Respondents: Public housing authority staff, public child welfare 
agency staff, and other service provider staff.

[[Page 382]]



                                             Annual Burden Estimates
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                                                                     Number of    Average burden
                                   Total number    Annual number  responses  per     hour per     Annual  burden
                                  of respondents  of respondents    respondent       response          hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guide for Recruitment with PHA                20               7               1            1.00               7
 and PCWA Administrators........
Guide to Develop an Evaluation                10               4               1            1.00               4
 Plan for PCWA FUP Management...
Guide to Develop an Evaluation                10               4               1            1.00               4
 Plan for PHA FUP Management....
Guide for Implementation Study                10               4               1            1.00               4
 for PCWA Management............
Guide for Implementation Study                10               4               1            1.00               4
 for PHA Management.............
Guide for Implementation Study                 4               2               1            1.00               2
 for Referral Provider
 Administrators.................
Guide for Implementation Study                10               4               1            1.00               4
 with PCWA FUP Management
 (First)........................
Guide for Implementation Study                10               4               1            1.00               4
 for PHA FUP Management.........
Guide for Implementation Study               320             107               1            1.50             161
 Focus Groups with Frontline
 Workers........................
Guide for Implementation Study                30              10               1            1.50              15
 Focus Groups with PHA Frontline
 Workers........................
Guide for Implementation Study                10               4               1            1.00               4
 for PCWA FUP Management (Follow
 Up)............................
Guide for Implementation Study                 8               3               1            1.00               3
 for Service Provider Management
Referral Form...................             200              67               6            0.17              68
Randomization Tool..............              10               4             106            0.02               8
Housing Assistance Questionnaire             200              67               3            0.09              18
Ongoing Services Questionnaire..             200              67               3            0.09              18
Dashboard.......................              20               7              27            0.17              32
Administrative Data List........              30              10               2            5.00             100
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 460.
    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, 330 C St SW, Washington, DC 20201, 
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.

Mary Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-28374 Filed 1-2-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4184-25-P