[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 176 (Wednesday, September 13, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62796-62797]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-19722]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Financing for Early 
Care and Education: Quality and Access for All (New Collection)

AGENCY: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration 
for Children and Families, United States Department of Health and Human 
Services.

ACTION: Request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services seeks approval to collect 
information to explore the role of Head Start in the early care and 
education (ECE) financing landscape, as well as how the use of multiple 
funding sources within a single Head Start program may be associated 
with the provision of Head Start's comprehensive services and with 
state-level differences in ECE funding. Survey data will be collected 
from Head Start program directors and state government administrators.

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: You can obtain copies of the proposed collection of 
information and submit comments by emailing 
[email protected]. Identify all requests by the title of 
the information collection.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Description: The proposed data collection seeks to better 
understand Head Start's participation in or use of coordinated funding, 
defined as the piecing together or combining of multiple funding 
sources. The data collection effort will consist of two surveys: (1) a 
census survey of Head Start program directors (of any grant recipient 
with a Head Start grant, Early Head Start grant, or both, or one of 
their delegate programs), and (2) a census survey of three state 
government administrative positions in each of the 50 states and 
Washington, DC (the Head Start Collaboration Office Director, the 
administrator of state pre-kindergarten funds, and the administrator of 
the federal Child Care and Development Fund [CCDF]). The surveys will 
identify the most common approaches to coordinated funding; examine how

[[Page 62797]]

these approaches relate to the provision of high-quality, comprehensive 
ECE services in Head Start programs; understand policy levers and 
conditions that influence Head Start programs' decisions around and 
ability to coordinate funding; and document how participation in 
coordinated funding relates to Head Start's engagement with other ECE 
programs and system efforts. The resulting insights will inform ACF 
about the prevalence of coordinated funding in Head Start, facilitators 
and challenges of coordinated funding for Head Start programs, and 
potential associations with program quality. They will also inform 
future case studies.
    Respondents: Head Start Program Directors, state-based Head Start 
Collaboration Office Directors, state administrators of state pre-
kindergarten funds, and state-based administrators of federal CCDF.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
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                                                                     Number of
                                                     Number of     responses per
                                                    respondents     respondent    Average burden   Total/annual
                   Instrument                       (total over     (total over    per  response    burden  (in
                                                      request         request       (in hours)        hours)
                                                      period)         period)
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Program Director Survey (Head Start Program                1,642               1             .83           1,363
 Directors or financial administrators).........
ECE State Administrator Survey (State-based Head             138               1             .60              83
 Start Collaboration Office Directors,
 administrators of state pre-kindergarten funds,
 state-based administrators of federal CCDF)....
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    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,446.
    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: 42 U.S.C. 9835; 42 U.S.C. 9844.

Mary B. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2023-19722 Filed 9-12-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-22-P