[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 21, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38488-38489]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-15508]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; National Survey of 
Early Care and Education COVID-19 Follow-Up (OMB #0970-0391)

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), U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), plans to request from 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) an extension to complete data 
collection for a two-wave COVID-19 Follow-up data collection currently 
underway as part of the National Survey of Early Care and Education 
(NSECE). The objective of the NSECE COVID-19 Follow-up is to document 
the nation's current supply of early care and education services (that 
is, home-based providers, center-based providers, and the center-based 
provider workforce). There are no changes proposed.

DATES: Comments due within 60 days of publication. In compliance with 
the requirements 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: In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NSECE 
COVID-19 Follow-up will deepen our understanding of the state of ECE 
supply and the ECE workforce following the initial period of crisis, 
including changes in supply or departures from and re-entries to the 
workforce. The NSECE COVID-19 Follow-up will collect information from 
center-based ECE providers to children birth through age 5 years, not 
yet in kindergarten, home-based ECE providers that serve children under 
age 13, as well as the ECE workforce providing these services. The 
collection consists of three coordinated nationally representative 
surveys:
    1. A two-wave survey of individuals who provided paid care for 
children under the age of 13 in a residential setting as of 2019 and 
participated in the 2019 NSECE (Home-based Provider Interview),
    2. a two-wave survey of providers of care to children ages 0 
through 5 years of age (not yet in kindergarten) in a non-residential 
setting (Center-based Provider Interview) as of 2019 and that 
participated in the 2019 NSECE, and
    3. a two-wave survey conducted with individuals employed in center-
based child care programs working directly with children in classrooms 
(Center-based Classroom Staff [Workforce] Interview) as of 2019 and who 
participated in the 2019 NSECE.
    Respondents: Home-based providers as of 2019 serving children under 
13 years (listed and unlisted paid)--regardless of their status serving 
children in 2020-2022, center-based child care providers as of 2019 
serving children ages 0 through 5 years of age (not yet in 
kindergarten)--regardless of their status serving children in 2020-
2022, and classroom-assigned instructional staff members working with 
children ages 0 through 5 years of age (not yet in kindergarten) in 
center-based child care providers as of 2019, regardless of their 
employment status in 2020-2022.
    Annual Burden Estimates: This request is for an extension through 
spring 2022.

[[Page 38489]]



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                                                                     Number of
                                                     Number of     responses per
                                                    respondents     respondent    Average burden   Total burden
                   Instrument                       (total over     (total over    per response     (in hours)
                                                      request         request       (in hours)
                                                      period)         period)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Home-based Provider Interview, Wave 2--In ECE              2,025               1            0.35             709
 during focal week..............................
Home-based Provider Interview, Wave 2--Not in                506               1            0.25             126
 ECE during focal week..........................
Center-based Provider Interview, Wave 2 spring             3,291               1            0.38           1,251
 or fall; in ECE during focal week..............
Center-based Provider Interview, Wave 2 spring             1,097               1            0.22             241
 or fall; not in ECE during focal week..........
Center-based Provider Fall 2021 Funding Receipt            1,255               1            0.20             251
 Supplement.....................................
Center-based Provider Interview Wave 2 fall;               1,136               1            0.29             329
 Centers completing in Wave 2 spring also.......
(Center-based) Workforce Interview--Wave 2; In             1,775               1            0.37             657
 ECE during Focal Week..........................
(Center-based) Workforce Interview--Wave 2; Not              874               1            0.24             210
 in ECE during Focal Week.......................
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    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 3,774.
    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: 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. 2021-15508 Filed 7-20-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-23-P