[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 133 (Friday, July 10, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41586-41587]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-14944]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Assessing Models of 
Coordinated Services for Low-Income Children and Their Families (AMCS) 
(0970-0535)

AGENCY: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation; Administration 
for Children and Families; Department of Health and Human Services 
(HHS).

ACTION: Request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), 
Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS), is requesting an extension to continue 
collecting data for the study, Assessing Models of Coordinated Services 
for Low-Income Children and Their Families (AMCS). Data collection has 
been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will not be complete by 
the current expiration date of October 31, 2020. There are no changes 
proposed to the current 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, ACF 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 emailing 
[email protected]. Alternatively, copies can also be 
obtained by writing to the

[[Page 41587]]

Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research, 
and Evaluation, 330 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20201, Attn: OPRE 
Reports Clearance Officer. All requests, emailed or written, should be 
identified by the title of the information collection.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Description: Through AMCS, ACF seeks to learn more about how states 
and communities coordinate early care and education, family economic 
security, and/or other health and human services to most efficiently 
and effectively serve the needs of low-income children and their 
families. ACF aims to understand strategies used to support 
partnerships, including the Federal barriers to agency collaboration. 
In support of achieving these goals, the study team is conducting 
``virtual site visits'' with six programs that offer coordinated 
services. The study team will gather information through interviews 
with program staff members, such as agency leaders or frontline staff, 
and focus groups with parents.
    Data collection activities will include up to six program ``virtual 
site visits.'' ``Virtual site visits'' include semi-structured 
interviews with up to 30 total staff at each site and focus groups with 
8-10 parents at each site. Semi-structured interviews with program and 
partner staff will obtain in-depth information about the goals and 
objectives of programs, the services provided, how the coordinated 
services are implemented, how staffing is managed, data use, and any 
facilitators and barriers to coordination. Focus groups with parents 
participating in the program will provide the opportunity to learn 
about how parents perceive the program; how it meets their needs; what 
benefits they gain from the program; and how they enroll, participate, 
and progress through the program.
    Respondents: Lead program and partner program staff members working 
in six programs across the United States that coordinate early care and 
education services with family economic security services and/or other 
health and human services, as well as parents receiving services from 
these programs. Staff respondents will be selected with the goal of 
having staff represent each level of the organization. Parents who have 
participated in the program for at least 6 months and who receive early 
childhood services and at least one other program service will be 
invited to participate in focus groups.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
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                                                   Total/annual      Number of        Average
                   Instrument                        number of     responses per   burden hours    Annual burden
                                                    respondents     respondent     per response        hours
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Master Virtual Site Visit Interview Protocol....             180               1               2             360
Parent Virtual Focus Group Protocol.............              60               1               1              60
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    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 420
    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. 9858(a)(5).

John M. Sweet Jr.,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020-14944 Filed 7-9-20; 8:45 am]
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