[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 95 (Wednesday, May 15, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42471-42472]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-10578]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review; 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 30 days of publication. OMB must make a 
decision about the collection of information between 30 and 60 days 
after publication of this document in the Federal Register. Therefore, 
a comment is best assured of having its full effect if OMB receives it 
within 30 days of publication.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function. You can 
also obtain copies of the proposed collection of information 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 (up to 3 per program).

[[Page 42472]]



                                             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)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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               600               1             0.5             300
 3).............................................
Community partner survey (Instrument 4).........             180               1            0.25              45
ERSEA lead staff focus group guide (Instrument                24               1             1.5              36
 5).............................................
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours.........  ..............  ..............  ..............           526.2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\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.

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

Mary C. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-10578 Filed 5-14-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-22-P