[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 250 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 86569-86570]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-28886]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; OPRE Data Collection 
for Supporting Youth To Be Successful in Life (SYSIL) (New Collection)

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

ACTION: Request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is 
requesting approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
a new data collection. The Supporting Youth to be Successful in Life 
study (SYSIL) will build evidence on how to end homelessness among 
youth and young adults with experience in the child welfare system by 
continuing work with an organization who conducted foundational work as 
part of the Youth At-Risk of Homelessness project (OMB Control Number: 
0970-0445). SYSIL will provide important information to the field by 
designing and conducting a federally led evaluation of a comprehensive 
service model for youth at risk of homelessness.

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 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: The SYSIL evaluation includes 
an implementation study and an impact study, which will use a rigorous 
quasi-experimental design that includes a comparison group. This new 
information collection request includes the baseline and follow-up 
survey instruments for the impact study (a single instrument 
administered four times), and discussion guides for interviews and 
focus groups and the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) for the 
implementation study. The data collected from the baseline and follow-
up surveys will be used to describe the characteristics of the study 
sample of youth, develop models for estimating program impacts, and 
determine program effectiveness by comparing outcomes between youth in 
the treatment (youth receiving the Pathways program) and control 
groups. Data from the interviews and focus groups will provide a 
detailed understanding of program implementation. The study will also 
use administrative data from the child welfare system, homelessness 
management information system, and program providers. Administrative 
data will be used in its existing format and does not impose any new 
information collection or recordkeeping requirements on respondents.
    Respondents: The baseline and follow-up surveys will be 
administered to youth in the treatment group (youth receiving the 
Pathways program) and youth in the control group who consent to 
participate in the study. Interviews will be conducted with program 
leadership and staff. Focus groups will be conducted with a subset of 
youth who are participating in the study. The WAI will be completed by 
Pathways youth and their caseworkers.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
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                                                     Number of
                                     Number of     responses per
                                    respondents     respondent      Avg. burden    Total burden    Annual burden
           Instrument               (total over     (total over    per response     (in hours)      (in hours)
                                      request         request       (in hours)
                                      period)         period)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SYSIL Youth Survey--Baseline                 700               1              .5             350             117
 survey.........................
SYSIL Youth Survey--Follow-up                630               1              .5             315             105
 survey 1 (6 months)............
SYSIL Youth Survey--Follow-up                595               1              .5             298              99
 survey 2 (12 months)...........
SYSIL Youth Survey--Follow-up                372               1              .5             186              62
 survey 3 (24 months)...........
Interview guide for Pathways                  30               1             1.5              45              15
 sites (treatment sites)........
Interview guide for comparison                30               1             1.5              45              15
 sites..........................
Focus group discussion guide for              50               1             1.5              75              25
 Pathways youth (treatment
 youth).........................
Focus group discussion guide for              50               1             1.5              75              25
 comparison youth...............
Working Alliance Inventory for               400               1             .08              32              11
 Pathways youth.................
Working Alliance Inventory for                40              10             .08              32              11
 Pathways case workers..........
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    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 485.
    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

[[Page 86570]]

technology. Consideration will be given to comments and suggestions 
submitted within 60 days of this publication.

    Authority: Section 105(b)(5) of the Child Abuse Prevention and 
Treatment Act (CAPTA) of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 5106(b)(5)), as amended by 
the CAPTA Reauthorization Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-320).

Mary B. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020-28886 Filed 12-29-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-29-P