80 FR 57191 - Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 183 (September 22, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 183 (Tuesday, September 22, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57191-57193]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-23978]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

    Proposed Projects: ORR, Unaccompanied Children's Program, Division 
of Children's Services (DCS).
    Title: Information Collection and Record Keeping for the Timely 
Placement and Release of Unaccompanied Children (UC) in ORR Care
    OMB No.:
    Description: On March 1, 2003, the Homeland Security Act of 2002, 
Section 462, transferred responsibilities for the care and placement of 
unaccompanied children from the Commissioner of the

[[Page 57192]]

Immigration and Naturalization Service to the Director of the Office of 
Refugee Resettlement (ORR). ORR is also governed by the provisions 
established by the Flores Agreement in 1997 and the William Wilberforce 
Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) of 2008.
    The ORR Unaccompanied Children's Program provides placement, care, 
custody and services for UC until they can be successfully released to 
a sponsor, are repatriated to their home country, or able to obtain 
legal status.
    Through cooperative agreements and contracts, ORR funds residential 
care providers that provide temporary housing and other services to 
unaccompanied children in ORR custody. These care provider facilities 
are State licensed and must meet ORR requirements to ensure a high 
level quality of care. They provide a continuum of care for children, 
including placements in ORR foster care, group homes, shelter, staff 
secure, secure, and residential treatment centers. The care providers 
provide children with classroom education, health care, socialization/
recreation, vocational training, mental health services, access to 
legal services, and case management.
    Under the law, ORR and its care providers are required to:

    (1) Collect information about each UC who is entrusted to the 
care of ORR in order to determine the most appropriate and least 
restrictive placement, provide adequate services, and identify 
qualified sponsors for the timely release of the child or youth. ORR 
has developed instruments to assess the child or youth and his or 
her needs and conditions throughout his or her stay with ORR as well 
as the identification and assessment of potential sponsors. These 
instruments allow for consistency and compliance of standards across 
care providers and help ORR monitor programs and identify problems 
and issues that need corrective action.
    (2) Keep up-to-date records to ensure the child or youth's 
safety and security and care and to provide accountability with all 
Federal and State, licensing, and other standards by care providers.
    (3) Notify UC of their rights and responsibilities under the 
law, including notice about ORR services, the fact that that they 
have the right to apply for Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status, 
and their legal responsibility to attend an immigration hearing.

    These tasks are mainly conducted through the ORR online database 
(The UC Portal), which provides a central location for case records and 
the documentation of other activities (for example, when a child or 
youth is transferred to another facility). Many of these records are 
``auto-populated'' on the UC Portal once the original data points are 
completed (such as DOB, A number, date of initial placement).
    The data collection described here pertains to activities involving 
UC and care providers from initial intakes of UC into ORR care to his 
or her release from ORR care. It does not cover information collection 
for potential sponsors (Submitted via separate OMB request in January 
2015.)
    ORR has applied the following assumptions to this request:

    (1) Items related to tasks that are routine and customary for 
care providers and others are excluded. This includes quarterly or 
annual financial or other reports, grant related requests from ORR 
Project Officers or others for monitoring performance and progress, 
and third party notifications to other government agencies, such as 
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or U.S. Department of 
Justice (DOJ). (For financial and other reports, Care Providers use 
templates posted on http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html#reporting)
    (2) Data collection and reporting requirements do not reflect 
those required by State or local licensing or accreditation 
requirements.
    (3) Acknowledgement of receipt of information or other 
acknowledgements via signature by either the UC or the care provider 
or others are not included in this information request as these are 
administrative in nature in order to help care providers and UC 
track personal belongings, DHS related documents, medical records, 
and other important items required by the UC following release from 
ORR care.
    The components of this information request include:

    (1) UC Portal Capacity Report: Care providers complete the 
sections on ``In Care'' and ``Beds in Reserve'' as well as the 
section recording the UC who have been discharged on a daily basis 
so that ORR Intakes has a complete picture of available beds for UC 
placements.
    (2) The Further Assessment Swift Track (FAST) Placement Tool 
(Versions for Secure and Staff Secure placements): Initially used by 
ORR Intakes to determine when a UC warrants a placement in Secure or 
Staff Secure Care. Care providers must use the tool to update a 
status for UC who are placed in Secure Care at least every 30 days. 
(Care providers are not required to re-use tool for UC who have been 
placed in Staff Secure Care).
    (3) Placement Authorization: Auto-generated. Requires a 
signature from the care provider acknowledging a particular UC 
placement into their facility.
    (4) Notice of Placement in Secure or Staff Secure Facility: 
Acknowledges UC's placement in a secure or staff secure care 
provider facility with signature of UC and facility witness.
    (5) Initial Intakes Assessment: Biographical information is 
auto-populated for care providers based on ORR information obtained 
at Intakes. Screens for trafficking or other safety concerns, 
special needs, danger to self and others, medical conditions, mental 
health concerns.
    (6) UC Assessment: Care provider must complete within 7 days of 
UC's admission, covers biographic, family, legal, migration, 
medical, substance abuse, and mental health history.
    (7) Individual Service Plan: Documents the services that have 
been provided (for example, number of counseling sessions, 
educational assessment and classes) and is updated every 30 days. 
When a child is transferred to a new facility, a new ISP is 
developed.
    (8) UC Case Review Form: Documents any new information not 
indicated in the UC Assessment.
    (9) New Sponsor Form: Identifies any potential sponsor(s) for a 
particular UC. In addition to serving as a record for a particular 
case, helps ORR track individuals who are attempting to sponsor 
numerous UC, which may suggest a possible trafficking or abuse 
situation.
    (10) Transfer Request and Tracking Form: Auto-populated and used 
to obtain ORR permission for transfer to another care facility. 
(Filled out by both ORR and care providers) and used to document 
when a UC is transferred from one facility to another (requires 
signatures of both facilities).
    (11) Long Term Foster Care Placement Memo: When ORR identifies a 
placement of a UC with a long term foster care facility, the long 
term foster care provider or national VOLAG receiving the transfer 
request completes the memo and sends to ORR to ensure continuity of 
services and tracking of records for a UC.
    (12) Travel Request form for UC Long Term Foster Care: Must be 
filled out by program at least 10 days prior to travel start date.
    (13) Notice of Transfer to ICE Chief Counsel and Change of 
Address: Required so that the Chief Counsel of ICE may file a Motion 
for Change of Venue and/or Change of Address with the Executive 
Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), if applicable, to ensure 
immigration hearing may proceed.
    (14) Care Provider Release Checklist: Care providers must 
complete and affirm that all documents, forms, and steps are 
completed in the release process.
    (15) Release Request: Provides care provider recommendation for 
release of a UC to a sponsor. All releases must be approved by ORR 
prior to UC release.
    (16) Discharge Notification: Includes date and type of discharge 
(transfer, home country, sponsor release) and is sent to ICE.
    (17) Verification of Release: Signed by sponsor as notification 
that named UC has been released according to the law. Sponsor must 
also acknowledge agreement with the provisions of the Sponsor Care 
Agreement pertaining to the minor's care, safety, and well-being, 
and the sponsor's responsibility for ensuring the minor's presence 
at all future proceedings before the Department of Homeland Security 
and EOIR.
    (18) Child Advocate Referral and Appointment Form: Used by the 
Child Advocate Program to recommend that ORR appoint an independent 
child advocate for a victim of child trafficking or in other cases 
involving vulnerable children.

[[Page 57193]]

    (19) Notice of Rights Handout and Notice of Rights and Provision 
of Services: Care providers are required to provide to all UC under 
the Flores v. Reno Settlement Agreement.
    (20) Legal Service Provider List for UC: List of organizations 
who offer free legal representation and help for UC with State and 
Federal courts, immigration hearings, and appeals. Required under 
the Flores Settlement Agreement.
    (21) URM Application: Certain populations of children and youth 
in ORR custody may become eligible for the Unaccompanied Refugee 
Minors Program, which is a State administered foster care program. 
In such instances the care provider facility or other interested 
party may complete this application form on behalf of the child.
    (22) Withdrawal of Application or Declination of Placement Form: 
If a youth who has submitted an application for the URM Program 
wishes to withdraw this application, or if he or she has been 
offered placement and wishes to decline this placement, the youth 
must complete this form.
    (23) Standard Shelter Tour Request: Used by members of the 
public and the media to submit to care providers in order to tour a 
shelter facility.

Respondents
    UC in ORR care and custody (they are generally referred to ORR from 
the DHS) and who are then referred to ORR's Network of Care Providers.
    Staff in ORR's Care Provider Network, including those in shelter 
care, secure and staff secure care, foster care, and residential 
treatment centers.
    Approved sponsors of UC released from ORR care.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                          Number of
                                            Number of     responses    Average burden hours per    Total burden
               Instrument                  respondents       per               response                hours
                                                          respondent
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UC Portal Capacity Report..............              50            1  .16/hour..................               8
Further Assessment Swift Track (FAST)             2,320            1  .25/hour..................             580
 Placement Tool.
Placement Authorization Form...........          58,000            1  .1/hour...................           5,800
Notice of Placement in Secure or Staff            2,320            1  .1/hour...................             232
 Secure Facility.
Initial Intakes Form...................          58,000            1  .25/hour..................          14,500
UC Assessment..........................          58,000            1  .50/hour..................          29,000
Individual Service Plan................          58,000            1  .25.......................          14,500
UC Case Review Form....................          58,000            1  .50/hour..................          29,000
New Sponsor Form.......................          55,200            1  .25/hour..................          13,800
Transfer Request and Tracking Form.....           1,000            1  .25/hour..................             250
Long Term Foster Care Placement Memo...             279            1  .1/hour...................              28
Travel Request Form for UC Long Term                 20            1  .25/hour..................               5
 Foster Care.
Notice of Transfer to ICE Chief Counsel           2,320            1  .1/hour...................             232
 and Change of Address.
Care Provider Release Checklist........          55,200            1  .1........................           5,520
Release Request........................          55,200            3  .25 hour..................          41,400
Discharge Notification.................             716            1  .25/hour..................             179
Verification of Release................          55,200            1  .1/hour...................           5,520
Child Advocate Referral and Appointment             250            1  .50.......................             125
 Form.
Notice of Rights Handout and Notice of           58,000            1  .1/hour...................           5,800
 Rights and Provision of Services.
Legal Service Provider List for UC.....          58,000            1  .1........................           5,800
URM Application........................             350            1  1.........................             350
Withdrawal of Application or                         10            1  .1/hour...................               1
 Declination of Placement Form.
Standard Shelter Tour Request..........              60            1  .1/hour...................               6
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 172,636.
    In compliance with the requirements of Section 506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Administration for Children and 
Families is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the 
information collection described above. Copies of the proposed 
collection of information can be obtained and comments may be forwarded 
by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of 
Planning, Research and Evaluation, 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW., 
Washington, DC 20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer. Email 
address: [email protected]. All requests should be identified 
by the title of the information collection.
    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.

Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-23978 Filed 9-21-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-P