80 FR 48537 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 156 (August 13, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 156 (Thursday, August 13, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48537-48538]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-19922]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Title: Understanding the Intersection Between TANF and Refugee Cash 
Assistance Services.
    OMB No.: New Collection.
    Description: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is proposing data 
collection activities as part of a project to understand the 
intersection between Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and 
Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) programs. The goal of this project is to 
help ACF better understand how the variety of systems that assist 
refugees collaborate to promote common goals of self-sufficiency and 
employment, and how refugees' experiences might differ depending on the 
structure of the state (or local) program arrangements. To achieve this 
goal, this study aims to document what states are doing to help 
refugees gain self-sufficiency; if and how states are integrating RCA, 
TANF, and associated services to better meet the needs of refugees; and 
what data is collected currently, or might be collected in the future, 
to better understand refugee resettlement services and suggest future 
areas for inquiry.
    The proposed data collection activities described in this notice 
will collect data about state policies and practices; how TANF, RCA, 
and associated services are provided; the respective roles of the 
various agencies and organizations in serving participants; how the 
agencies and organizations integrate services internally and/or 
collaborate with other organizations; refugee populations served; 
approaches to addressing the particular barriers refugees face; 
promising practices and strategies for assisting refugees; gaps in 
services; local labor market conditions; and experiences of refugees 
accessing services through these programs.
    This Federal Register Notice provides the opportunity to comment on 
proposed new information collection activities for this study: (1) The 
survey of state refugee coordinators and Wilson-Fish program 
coordinators will be administered to state refugee coordinators in each 
state and the District of Columbia. The survey will collect information 
about state policies and practices.
    (2) The four site visit interview guides will collect information 
about how TANF, RCA, and associated services are provided; the 
respective roles of the various agencies and organizations in serving 
participants; how the agencies and organizations integrate services 
internally and/or collaborate with other organizations; approaches to 
addressing the particular barriers refugees face; promising practices 
and strategies for assisting refugees; gaps in services; data 
maintained by programs serving refugees; and local labor market 
conditions.
    (3) The focus group guide will collect information from program 
participants about the services they received, how they were delivered, 
their experiences attempting to achieve self--sufficiency within a 
rapid timeframe, and the challenges they have faced.
    Respondents: Individuals receiving RCA, TANF, and related services; 
State Refugee Coordinators/Wilson-Fish Program Coordinators; Managers 
and staff at local TANF offices; local resettlement agency staff; 
community-based organization staff providing services to refugees; 
staff operating alternative cash assistance programs for refugees such 
as Public/Private Partnerships(s) and Wilson-Fish programs (if 
different from the local resettlement agency); and staff from other 
programs providing employability and social adjustment and cultural 
orientation services to refugees.

                                                                 Annual Burden Estimates
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                     Number of        Average burden
                        Instrument                          Total number of    Annual number of    responses per        hours per        Annual burden
                                                              respondents        respondents         respondent          response            hours
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Survey of State Refugee Coordinators and Wilson-Fish                      51                 26                  1                 .5                 13
 Program Coordinators....................................

[[Page 48538]]

 
Site Visit Interview Guide for Public Agency Temporary                    40                 20                  1                1.5                 30
 Assistance for Needy Families Managers and Staff........
Site Visit Interview Guide for Public Agency Refugee Cash                 40                 20                  1                1.5                 30
 Assistance Managers and Staff...........................
Site Visit Interview Guide for Voluntary Agency Staff....                 40                 20                  1                1.5                 30
Site Visit Interview Guide for Other Community- Based                     40                 20                  1                1.5                 30
 Organization Staff......................................
Focus Group Guide for Service Recipients.................                 72                 36                  1                1.5                 54
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 187.
    Additional Information: Copies of the proposed collection may be 
obtained by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, 
Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, 370 L'Enfant Promenade 
SW., Washington, DC 20447, Attn: OPRE Reports Clearance Officer. All 
requests should be identified by the title of the information 
collection. Email address: [email protected].
    OMB Comment: OMB is required to make a decision concerning 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. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent directly to the following: Office 
of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project, Email: 
[email protected], Fax: 202-395-6974, Attn: Desk Officer for 
the Administration for Children and Families.

Robert Sargis,
ACF Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-19922 Filed 8-12-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-07-P