[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 234 (Thursday, December 6, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62871-62872]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-26450]


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

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Strengthening 
Relationship Education and Marriage Services (STREAMS) Evaluation 
(OMB#0970-0481)

AGENCY: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration 
for Children and Families, HHS.

ACTION: Request for Public Comment.

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

SUMMARY: The Office of Family Assistance (OFA) within the 
Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department 
of Health and Human Services has issued grants to organizations to 
provide healthy marriage and relationship education (HMRE) services. 
Under a previously approved data collection activity (OMB#0970-0481), 
the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within ACF is 
conducting the Strengthening Relationship Education and Marriage 
Services (STREAMS) evaluation with five HMRE grantees. The purpose of 
STREAMS is to measure the effectiveness and quality of HMRE programs 
designed to strengthen intimate relationships. This data collection 
request is for an extension of previously approved data collection 
instruments and for two additional data collection instruments.

DATES: Comments due within 60 days of publication. 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.

ADDRESSES: 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 Street 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Description: The STREAMS evaluation includes two components, an 
impact study and a process study. The evaluation will examine HMRE 
programs for youth in high school, adult couples, and adult 
individuals.
    1. Impact Study. The goal of the impact study is to provide 
rigorous estimates of the effectiveness of program services and 
interventions to improve program implementation. The impact study uses 
an experimental design. Eligible program applicants are randomly 
assigned to either a program group that is offered program services or 
a control group that is not. STREAMS collects baseline information from 
eligible program applicants prior to random assignment and administers 
a follow-up survey to participants 12 months after random assignment.
    2. Process study. The goal of the process study is to support the 
interpretation of impact findings and document program operations to 
support future replication. STREAMS conducts semi-structured interviews 
with program staff and selected community stakeholders, conducts focus 
groups with program participants, administers a survey to program 
staff, and collects data on adherence to program curricula through an 
add on to an existing program MIS (nFORM, OMB no. 0970-0460).
    This data collection request is for an extension of previously 
approved data collection instruments for the impact study and for two 
additional data collection instruments associated with the impact 
study. The two additional instruments will allow for longer-term 
follow-up in two of the five evaluation sites. (1) The second follow-up 
survey for youth will be administered approximately 24 to 36 months 
after random assignment to study participants in the STREAMS site 
serving youth. (2) The second follow-up survey for adults will be 
administered approximately 30 months after random assignment to study 
participants in one of the STREAMS evaluation sites serving adults.
    Respondents: Study participants.

[[Page 62872]]



                                             Annual Burden Estimates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of    Average burden
           Instrument              Total number    Annual number   responses per     hours per     Annual burden
                                  of respondents  of respondents    respondent       response          hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                     Previously Approved Burden that Remains
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Introductory script, grantee                   8               8              25            0.08              16
 staff..........................
Introductory script, program                 600             200               1            0.08              16
 applicants.....................
Add-on to nFORM to conduct                     8               8              25            0.08              16
 random assignment..............
Follow-up survey for youth......             690             230               1             0.5             115
Baseline survey for adults......             600             200               1             0.5             100
Follow-up survey for adults.....           2,300             767               1            0.75             575
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Current Request for Approval
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Second follow-up survey for                1,500             500               1             0.5             250
 youth..........................
Second follow-up survey for                  800             267               1            0.75             200
 adults.........................
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours:........................................................           1,288
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Comments: 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.

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 603; Sec. 811 (b) Healthy Marriage 
Promotion and Promoting Responsible Fatherhood Grants of the Claims 
Resolution Act of 2010, Pub. L. No. 111-291, 124 Stat. 3064

Mary B. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-26450 Filed 12-4-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4184-73-P