[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 29 (Friday, February 11, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8017-8018]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-02928]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; OPRE Data Collection 
for State Child Welfare Data Linkages Descriptive 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: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is 
requesting approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
a new primary data collection about connected child welfare data. We 
define connected data as child welfare data that are linked or 
integrated with data from other systems or agencies. The State Child 
Welfare Data Linkages Descriptive Study (Data Linkages Descriptive 
Study) will gather systematic information on the extent to which states 
connect their child maltreatment data to other data sets; how any 
linked data sets are created, managed, and used; and challenges states 
face in linking data.

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]. Identify all requests by the title of 
the information collection.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Description: The State Child Welfare Data 
Linkages Descriptive Study will examine the extent to which child 
welfare agencies in 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, DC, link 
administrative data on child maltreatment to data in other systems and 
to learn more about states' practices related to sharing and linking 
data. The study aims to inform the ongoing and

[[Page 8018]]

accurate surveillance of child maltreatment and identify facilitators 
and barriers to connected data efforts (integrated data or linked 
data).
    These data are not available from existing sources. This study aims 
to present an internally valid description of the data capacity of 
participating state child welfare agencies, not to promote statistical 
generalization to different sites or service populations.
    Respondents: State child welfare directors, designated state child 
welfare agency staff (identified by a state child welfare director as 
having knowledge about the state's connected data efforts), and 
designated county staff (identified by a state child welfare director 
as having knowledge about a county's connected data efforts).
    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)
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Initial survey of state child                 52               1            0.67              35              18
 welfare directors..............
Survey of connected data efforts             208               1            0.58             121              61
 \1\............................
Interviews with individuals                  120               1               1             120              60
 responsible for connected data
 efforts........................
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Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours:109
\1\ Estimates for burden hours define respondent by survey administration and not by the number of different
  people completing the survey.

    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: 44 U.S.C. 5105.

Mary B. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2022-02928 Filed 2-10-22; 8:45 am]
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