81 FR 58515 - Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 165 (August 25, 2016)

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 165 (Thursday, August 25, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58515-58516]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-20386]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

TITLE: Assessing the Implementation and Cost of High Quality Early Care 
and Education: Comparative Multi-Case Study.

OMB No.: New.

DESCRIPTION: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) seeks approval to 
collect new information to use in developing measures of the 
implementation and costs of high quality early care and education. This 
information collection is part of the project, Assessing the 
Implementation and Cost of High Quality Early Care and Education (ECE-
ICHQ). The project's goal is to create a technically sound and feasible 
instrument that will provide consistent, systematic measures of the 
implementation and costs of education and care in center-based settings 
that serve children from birth to age 5. The resulting measures will 
inform research, policy, and practice by improving understanding of 
variations in what centers do to support quality, their associated 
costs, and how resources for ECE may be better aligned with 
expectations for quality.
    The goals of the study are (1) to test and refine a mixed methods 
approach to identifying the implementation activities and costs of key 
functions within ECE centers and (2) to produce data for creating 
measures of implementation and costs. The study is currently collecting 
data through on-site visits to 24 centers as part of an initial phase 
of data collection under clearance, #0970-0355. This initial phase is 
meant to test data collection tools and methods, conduct cognitive 
interviewing to obtain feedback from respondents about the tools, and 
reduce and refine the tools for the next phase of data collection.
    This request is focused on the next phase of data collection which 
will include 72 ECE centers in three states. The next phase will rely 
on remote data collection through electronic data collection tools, 
telephone interviews, and web-based surveys.

RESPONDENTS: ECE site administrators or center directors, program 
directors, education specialists, financial managers or accountants, 
teachers, and aides.

[[Page 58516]]



                                             Annual Burden Estimates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of        Average
                   Instrument                        Number of    responses  per   burden hours    Total burden
                                                    respondents      respondent    per response        hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Center recruitment call screener (to confirm                 360               1             .33             119
 selection criteria and gain participation;
 assumes outreach to 5 centers for every 1
 center needed).................................
Center engagement call script (to gather basic                72               1             .75              54
 characteristics and plan steps for
 participation).................................
Implementation interview protocol...............              72               1               8             576
Electronic cost workbook........................              72               1               6             432
Cost interview protocol.........................              72               1               2             144
Web-based time-use survey.......................             579               1              .5             290
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,615 hours.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: In compliance with the requirements of Section 
3506(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, 330 C Street 
SW., 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20201, Attn: OPRE 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,
ACF Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-20386 Filed 8-24-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4184-23-P