83 FR 6187 - Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 30 (February 13, 2018)

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 13, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6187-6188]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-02869]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

    Title: 2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education.
    OMB No.: 0970-0391.
    Description: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is proposing a data 
collection activity as part of the 2019 National Survey of Early Care 
and Education (NSECE) to be conducted October 2018 through August 2019. 
The objective of the 2019 NSECE is to document the nation's current 
supply of early care and education services (that is, home-based 
providers, center-based providers, and the center-based provider 
workforce). The 2019 NSECE will collect information on child care and 
early education providers that serve families with children from birth 
to 13 years in the country, as well as the early care and education 
(ECE) workforce providing these services. The proposed collection will 
consist of three coordinated nationally representative surveys:
    1. A survey of individuals providing care for children under the 
age of 13 in a residential setting (Home-based Provider Interview),
    2. A survey of providers of care to children ages 0 through 5 years 
of age (not yet in kindergarten) in a non-residential setting (Center-
based Provider Interview), and
    3. A survey conducted with individuals employed in center-based 
child care programs working directly with children in classrooms 
(Workforce Interview).
    Both the home-based and center-based provider surveys will require 
a screener to determine eligibility for the main survey.
    The 2019 NSECE data collection efforts will provide urgently needed 
information about the supply of child care and early education 
available to families across all income levels, including providers 
serving low-income families of various racial, ethnic, language, and 
cultural backgrounds, in diverse geographic areas. The provider data 
will include programs that do or do not participate in the child care 
subsidy program, are regulated, registered, or otherwise appear in 
state or national lists and are home-based providers or, center-based 
programs (e.g., private, community-based child care, Head Start, and 
state or local Pre-K). Accurate data on the availability and 
characteristics of early care and education programs are essential to 
assess the current and changing landscape of child care and early 
education programs since the 2012 NSECE data collection, and to provide 
insights to advance policy and initiatives in the ECE field.
    Respondents: Home-based providers serving children under 13 years, 
center-based child care providers (including public schools) serving 
children ages 0 through 5 years of age (not yet in kindergarten), and 
selected instructional staff members from these center-based child care 
providers.

                                               Annual Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of    Average burden     Estimated
                   Instrument                      Annual number   responses per     hours per     annual burden
                                                  of respondents    respondent       response          hours
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Home-Based Provider Interview, including                   4,000               1             .67           2,680
 Screener.......................................
Home-based Provider Screener, no interview......           2,015               1             .03              60
Center-Based Provider Interview, including                 7,800               1              .8           6,240
 Screener.......................................
Center-based Provider Screener, no interview....           7,640               1              .1             764
Workforce Provider Interview....................           5,600               1             .33           1,848
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours.........  ..............  ..............  ..............          11,592
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[[Page 6188]]

    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, Switzer Building, 330 C Street SW, 
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.

Mary Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-02869 Filed 2-12-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4184-23-P