[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 43 (Monday, March 4, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15584-15585]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-04520]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Head Start REACH: 
Strengthening Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Approaches With 
Families--Mixed Methods Study (New Collection)

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

ACTION: Request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within the 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is proposing to 
collect data on different approaches that Head Start programs use to 
recruit, select, and enroll families, and the ways in which such 
practices reflect programs' community contexts. We are not attempting 
to recruit a nationally representative sample. Instead, the study will 
aim to obtain a variety of eligibility, recruitment, selection, 
enrollment, and attendance (ERSEA) practices and experiences to explore 
how these practices and experiences intersect with different 
adversities, demographic characteristics, and community contexts.

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: Building on information collected previously through 
case studies (OMB #0970-0580), the Head Start REACH: Strengthening 
Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Approaches with Families Project 
is proposing to conduct a mixed-methods study to expand understanding 
of (1) how Head Start programs implement recruitment, selection, and 
enrollment practices; and (2) the ways in which practices reflect 
programs' community contexts. The mixed-methods study would achieve 
several goals including (1) providing in-depth contextual information 
about recruitment, selection, and enrollment practices and experiences; 
(2) identifying promising recruitment, selection, and enrollment 
practices and experiences; and (3) informing training and technical 
assistance regarding recruitment, selection, and enrollment challenges 
and needs. We will aim to collect information from 60 Head Start and 
Early Head Start programs in 15 geographic areas in states, from Head 
Start regions I-X, located in census tracts where the rate of deep 
poverty is high.
    We will collect information about the characteristics of families 
in Head Start programs and their communities; programs' enrollment 
numbers and goals; programs' use and perceived effectiveness of and 
challenges with recruitment, selection, and enrollment practices; 
promising recruitment, selection, and enrollment practices for 
potential future replication; families' reasons for choosing Head Start 
and experiences with and perceptions of recruitment, selection, and 
enrollment practices; and how community partner staff support 
recruitment, selection, and enrollment of families into Head Start. The 
findings are intended to help Head Start programs understand how to 
support the needs of families facing adversities. We will disseminate 
findings in a report, research brief, and presentations or briefings.
    Respondents: Head Start program directors (one per program), ERSEA 
lead staff (one per program), Head Start parents/caregivers (up to 10 
per program), and staff from community organizations with which Head 
Start programs partner for ERSEA activities (four in each geographic 
area).

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
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                                                                          Number of
                                                        Number of       responses per     Average       Total/
                    Instrument                         respondents       respondent      burden per     annual
                                                       (total over       (total over      response    burden (in
                                                     request period)   request period)   (in hours)     hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Program director survey (Instrument 1)............                60                 1         0.17         10.2
ERSEA lead staff survey (Instrument 2)............                60                 1         0.75           45
Onsite coordination \a\...........................                60                 1          1.5           90
Head Start parent/caregiver survey (Instrument 3).               600                 1          0.5          300
Community partner survey (Instrument 4)...........                60                 1         0.25           15

[[Page 15585]]

 
ERSEA lead staff focus group guide (Instrument 5).                24                 1          1.5           36
                                                   -------------------------------------------------------------
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours...........  ................  ................  ...........        496.2
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\a\ There is no instrument associated with this activity. We will ask each program director to nominate a staff
  person who will help coordinate data collection activities. This line accounts for the time of the onsite
  coordinator.

    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: Head Start Act Section 640 [42 U.S.C. 9835].

Mary C. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-04520 Filed 3-1-24; 8:45 am]
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