[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 81 (Tuesday, April 28, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22841-22842]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-08243]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
[Office of Management and Budget #: 0970-0618]
Proposed Information Collection Activity; Chafee Strengthening
Outcomes for Transition to Adulthood Project Overarching Generic
(Extension)
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) Office of
Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) requests Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) approval of a revision of a previously approved
overarching generic clearance to collect data on programs serving youth
transitioning out of foster care as part of the Chafee Strengthening
Outcomes for Transition to Adulthood Project. The generic mechanism
will allow ACF to conduct rapid-cycle evaluations that would not
otherwise be feasible under the timelines associated with the Paperwork
Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995. The purpose of these data collections
submitted under the generic will be to inform ACF programming by
building evidence about what works to improve outcomes for the target
population and to identify innovative learning methods that address
common evaluation challenges. Revisions are proposed to focus this
generic on a subset of types of requests that had been originally
proposed.
DATES: Comments due June 29, 2026.
ADDRESSES: In compliance with the requirements of PRA, ACF is
soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the information
collection described above. 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: To continue activities begun under the previously
approved umbrella generic (https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewDocument?ref_nbr=202502-0970-044), OPRE intends to conduct
evaluations of the effectiveness of program services and components in
improving outcomes for youth and young adults transitioning out of
foster care. To address challenges identified in previous studies, the
ongoing evaluations use innovative methods tailored to each
participating program, including rapid cycle learning techniques that
require an iterative approach. Due to the rapid and iterative nature of
this work, OPRE requested and received approval in 2023 for a generic
clearance to conduct this research. Intended use of the resulting data
is to identify practices and program components that have the potential
to improve the delivery and/or quality of services administered by
human service programs and agencies in the areas of child welfare and
independent living services for youth and young adults with foster care
experience. Potential data collection efforts include conducting
interviews, focus groups,
[[Page 22842]]
and surveys with current, past, or potential participants in programs
serving youth with foster care experience (e.g., including potential
participants who are included in comparison groups).
Under this generic clearance, information is meant to inform ACF
activities and may be incorporated into documents or presentations that
are made public such as through conference presentations, websites, or
social media. The following are some examples of ways in which we may
share information resulting from these data collections: Technical
assistance (TA) plans, webinars, presentations, infographics, issue
briefs/reports, project specific reports, or other documents relevant
to the field, such as federal leadership and staff, grantees, local
implementing agencies, researchers, and/or training/TA providers. We
may also request information for the sole purpose of publication in
cases where we are working to create a single source for users
(clients, programs, researchers) to find information about resources
such as services in their area, TA materials, different types of
programs or systems available, or research using ACF data. In sharing
findings, we will describe the study methods and limitations regarding
generalizability and as a basis for policy.
Following standard OMB requirements, OPRE will submit an individual
request for each specific data collection activity under this generic
clearance. Each request will include the individual instrument(s), a
justification specific to the individual information collection, and
any supplementary documents.
Respondents: Current, former, or potential participants in programs
serving youth; and young adults with foster care experience.
Annual Burden Estimates
This request will reduce the scope of the previously approved
generic to only focus on two types of information collections. This
request is for 3 years of approval and burden estimates are calculated
to show the total burden over the 3-year period and an average annual
burden estimate based on that calculation.
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Average
Total number Total number burden Total Annual
Instrument of respondents of responses hours per burden burden
per respondent response hours hours
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Youth Discussions and Focus Groups........... 200 2 1.5 600 200
Youth Surveys................................ 1,200 3 0.5 1,800 600
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Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours...... .............. .............. ........... ......... 800
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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: Title IV-E of the Social Security Act, IV-E Sec.
477(g)(1-2), as amended by the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999.
Mary C. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2026-08243 Filed 4-27-26; 8:45 am]
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