[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 46 (Thursday, March 11, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13903-13904]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-05100]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Submission for OMB Review; Infant and Toddler Teacher and 
Caregiver Competencies (ITTCC) Study (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: This is a primary data collection request for the Infant and 
Toddler Teacher and Caregiver Competencies (ITTCC) study to examine, 
using qualitative case studies, different approaches to implementing 
competency frameworks and assessing competencies of teachers and 
caregivers of infants and toddlers who work in group early care and 
education (ECE) settings (centers and family child care homes). Each 
case study will focus on a specific competency framework used by 
states, institutions of higher education, professional organizations, 
or ECE programs. This study aims to present an internally valid 
description of the implementation of competency frameworks and 
assessment of competencies for up to seven purposively selected cases, 
not to promote statistical generalization to different sites or service 
populations.

DATES: Comments due within 30 days of publication. 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.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Description: The ITTCC study will examine implementation and 
assessment of competency frameworks at (1) the system level (that is, 
among those charged with creating a structure for and supporting 
implementation in states, institutions of higher education, and/or 
professional organizations); and (2) the program level (that is, in the 
center-based settings and family child

[[Page 13904]]

care homes in which infant/toddler teachers and caregivers work). We 
will collect information on how competency frameworks have been 
developed and implemented; how competencies are assessed; how program 
directors, center directors, family child care providers, and teachers 
and caregivers use competency frameworks; key lessons related to 
implementing competency frameworks and assessing competencies; and 
perspectives on how competencies can help build the capacity of the 
workforce teaching and caring for infants and toddlers and support 
quality improvement.
    Respondents: System-level staff (this may include lead developers, 
lead adopters, administrators for state/local quality improvement 
initiatives, administrators of licensing and/or credentialing agencies, 
higher education stakeholders, other training and technical assistance 
providers, state-level oversight of federal programs) and program-level 
staff (program and/or center directors, professional development 
coordinators/managers, center-based teachers/caregivers and family 
child care providers).
    Annual Burden Estimates:

 
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                                                     Number of
                                     Number of     responses per      Average
                                    respondents     respondent      burden per     Total burden    Annual burden
           Instrument               (total over     (total over    response (in     (in hours)      (in hours)
                                      request         request         hours)
                                      period)         period)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
System-Level Screening Protocol               30               1              .6              18               9
 (Instrument 1).................
System-Level Master Semi-                     60               1             1.5              90              45
 structured Interview Protocol
 (Instrument 2).................
Nominations for Programs                      15               1              .3             4.5            2.25
 Protocol (Instrument 3)........
Program-Level Screening Protocol              70               1              .6              42              21
 (Instrument 4).................
Program-Level Master Semi-                    20               1               1              20              10
 structured Interview Protocol
 (Instrument 5): Directors......
Program-Level Master Semi-                    20               1               1              20              10
 structured Interview Protocol
 (Instrument 5): Family child
 care providers.................
Program-Level Master Semi-                    20               1             0.5              10               5
 structured Interview Protocol
 (Instrument 5): Center-based
 teachers.......................
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    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 102.25.

    Authority: Head Start Act Section 640 [42 U.S.C. 9835] and 
Section 649 [42 U.S.C. 9844], and the Child Care and Development 
Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 1990, as amended by the CCDBG Act of 2014 
(Pub. L. 113-186).

Mary B. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021-05100 Filed 3-10-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-22-P