[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 21, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38490-38491]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-15509]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Early Head Start Family 
and Child Experiences Survey 2022 (Baby FACES 2022) (OMB #0970-0354)

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) at the U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) seeks approval to 
continue to collect descriptive information for the Early Head Start 
Family and Child Experiences Survey 2022 (Baby FACES 2022). This 
information collection is to provide nationally representative data on 
Early Head Start (EHS) programs, centers, classrooms, staff, and 
families to guide program planning, technical assistance, and research. 
This data collection will complete the previously approved second round 
of data collection originally planned to take place in 2020 (OMB 0970-
0354). The work began in early 2020 but had to be postponed after only 
3 weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. No changes are proposed to the 
currently approved information collection materials.

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: Baby FACES 2018 and 2022 build upon a prior study 
(Baby FACES 2009; OMB 0970-0354) that longitudinally followed two 
cohorts of children through their experience in the program. While the 
2009 study provided a great deal of information about program 
participation over time and about services received by children and 
families, it did not allow for national level estimates of service 
quality or inferences about children who enter the program after 15 
months of age. To fill these knowledge gaps and to answer additional 
questions about how programs function, the design for the information 
collection in 2022 will refresh the nationally representative cross-
sectional sample of programs, centers, home visitors, teachers, 
classrooms, children, and families that was used in Baby FACES 2018. 
Freshening the sample will allow new programs that came into being 
since 2018 a chance to enter the study. This design allows for 
nationally representative estimates at all levels at a point in time 
and includes the entire age span of enrolled children.
    The goal of this work is to obtain updated information on EHS 
programs and understand better how program processes support 
relationships (e.g., between home visitors and parents, between parents 
and children, and between teachers and children) that are hypothesized 
to lead to improved child and family outcomes.
    Respondents: EHS program directors, child care center directors, 
teachers and home visitors, and parents of enrolled children.

[[Page 38491]]



                                             Annual Burden Estimates
                                               [2 year clearance]
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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)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Classroom/home visitor sampling              407               1            0.17              69              35
 form (from EHS staff)..........
Child roster form (from EHS                  252               1            0.33              83              42
 staff).........................
Parent consent form.............           2,495               1            0.17             424             212
Parent survey...................           2,084               1            0.53           1,105             553
Parent Child Report.............           2,008               1            0.33             663             332
Staff survey (Teacher survey and           1,317               1             0.5             659             330
 Home Visitor survey)...........
Staff Child Report..............           1,046            2.13            0.25             262             131
Program director survey.........             120               1             0.5              60              30
Center director survey..........             294               1             0.5             147              74
Parent-child interaction........             996               1            0.17             169              85
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    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,824.
    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: Sec. 645A and 649 of the Improving Head Start for School 
Readiness Act of 2007.

Mary B. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021-15509 Filed 7-20-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-22-P