[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 102 (Friday, May 24, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 45902]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-11393]



[[Page 45902]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Testing Identified 
Elements for Success in Fatherhood Programs (0970-0622)

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

ACTION: Request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of 
Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) launched the Testing 
Identified Elements for Success in Fatherhood Programs (Fatherhood 
TIES) project in 2022. Using a mix of research methods, this study will 
test ``core components'' of fatherhood programs to identify program 
elements that are effective at improving the lives of fathers who 
participate in fatherhood programs and their children. The study 
includes an implementation and an impact study. A request for initial 
data collection materials was approved by the Office of Management and 
Budget in December 2023. This notice provides information about 
additional data collection activities to support this study.

DATES: Comments due July 23, 2024. 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: Core components are the essential functions, 
principles, and elements that are judged as being necessary to produce 
positive outcomes. Fatherhood programs usually offer workshops and case 
management services for fathers to provide, for example, parenting 
strategies to strengthen their relationships with their children, help 
finding a steady job, skills to enhance their relationships, and 
support dealing with other life or family challenges they might 
experience. Five Fatherhood FIRE (Fatherhood--Family-focused, 
Interconnected, Resilient, and Essential) grant recipients are 
partnering with the Fatherhood TIES study team to participate in an 
implementation and impact study. The implementation study will examine 
how the core components are implemented and what fathers think of them. 
The impact study will rigorously evaluate whether promising core 
components bring about positive outcomes for fathers and their families 
which may include understanding effects of program engagement, economic 
stability, father-child relationship quality and co-parenting 
relationship quality.
    Initial study (Phase 1) materials, including consent to participate 
in the study, additional baseline information from program 
participants, and initial implementation study data were approved and 
are in use by the study team. We are now requesting approval of Phase 2 
data collection materials including semi-structured interviews, focus 
groups, and the participatory research methods of photo voice and audio 
journaling. Audio journaling and photo voice are participatory research 
methods that the study team will use with up to 60 fathers in total to 
generate information about how fathers are applying knowledge and 
skills gained through their participation in the fatherhood program.
    Respondents: Fathers enrolled in the Fatherhood TIES study, co-
parents of fathers enrolled, and program staff involved in supporting 
and implementing the Fatherhood TIES study.

Annual Burden Estimates

    Data collection time frames vary by instrument. Instruments with a 
star (*) will be fielded in the first year. The follow-up survey is 
anticipated to continue into early 2027. Therefore, this request is for 
two and a half years of approval and annual burden estimates reflect 
this timeframe (total burden/2.5).

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                                                     Number of
                                     Number of     responses per
                                    respondents     respondent    Average burden   Total burden    Annual burden
           Instrument               (total over     (total over    per response     (in hours)      (in hours)
                                      request         request       (in hours)
                                      period)         period)
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Staff Interview (including                    50               2               1             100              40
 consent) *.....................
Co-Parent Interview (including                 4               1               1               4               2
 consent) *.....................
Father focus group (including                 80               1               1              80              32
 consent) *.....................
Photo Voice (collection + focus                5               1            3.25              16               7
 group + debrief) *.............
Audio Journaling (collection +                55               1               1              55              22
 debrief) *.....................
Nine-month Follow-up survey.....            1369               1            0.75            1027             411
Photo Voice Training *..........               5               1               2              10               4
Audio Journaling Training *.....              55               1             0.5              28              11
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    Estimated Annual Burden       ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............             529
     Total......................
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    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: Section 413 of the Social Security Act, as amended by 
the fiscal year 2017 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Pub. L. 
115-31).

Mary C. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-11393 Filed 5-23-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-73-P