SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Description: OCSE proposes data collection activity as part of NextGen. In August 2024, OCSE issued eight grants and two section 1115 waivers to 10 child support agencies to provide ( printed page 24874) employment and other support services to noncustodial parents:

• Los Angeles County, CA
• Sacramento and Stanislaus Counties, CA
• Cherokee Nation
• Lac Courte Oreilles
• Louisiana
• Minnesota
• Nooksack (waiver)
• Ponca (waiver)
• Virginia
• Washington

The goal is to increase the consistency of child support payments through improved employment and earnings. NextGen is a 5-year project; the first year and a half will be dedicated to planning and piloting demonstration programs, followed by three and a half years of full implementation. NextGen sites will receive technical assistance as they plan, pilot, and implement their programs. The technical assistance team will also conduct an evaluation that will include implementation and outcome studies. The NextGen demonstration will yield important information about the best practices and challenges regarding child support-led employment and other support services and partnerships in a variety of settings. Evaluating this information will produce insights on the development and implementation of these partnerships, and the employment and child support-related outcomes they can generate for parents and families. The evaluation studies will help local, state, and tribal child support agencies design and implement child support-led employment programs in ways that work for their local communities.

NextGen sites will receive technical assistance throughout the 5-year demonstration. The goal of the technical assistance is to help sites deliver strong programs to noncustodial parents, including helping them adapt services as needed. The information collection activity for technical assistance will include providing sites with a Management Information System (MIS) to use for NextGen enrollment and case management. NextGen staff will enter information about received services into the MIS system. These data will help staff as they deliver the intervention.

An overview of the NextGen evaluation's implementation and outcomes studies follow.

1. Implementation study. The goal of the implementation study is to document variation in program implementation, such as program structures, enrollment strategies, employment and child support services offered, program partnerships and linkages, and local policy or economic factors. These design and implementation elements will contextualize the outcomes study's findings and serve as important sources of insight regarding the startup, operation, and sustainability strategies for child support-led employment services. Key information collection activities for the implementation study will include:

• MIS data for participants who consent to be in the study to understand their characteristics and how they responded to NextGen services.
• Semi-structured interviews with child support staff and staff from partner organizations.
• Semi-structured interviews with program participants to learn about their experiences in the NextGen program.

2. Outcomes study. The goal of the outcomes study is to measure and assess relevant outcomes, including changes in employment and earnings, and child support payment amounts and consistency. Child support administrative data will be used to obtain outcomes information about NextGen participants' child support orders, payments, child support debt, and enforcement history during the 12 months before and after enrollment. Data from the National Directory of New Hires will be collected to report outcomes on employment and earnings for all participants. Other activities include collecting and analyzing baseline data about NextGen participants from the MIS who consent to be in the evaluation.

This 60-Day Notice covers the following data collection activities:

• MIS to track program enrollment, baseline information, and program participation.
• Staff and community partner interview topic guide.
• Participant interview topic guide.

Respondents: Respondents for this information collection include grantee and tribal waiver staff and partners, and study participants. Specific respondents per instrument are outlined in the burden table below.

Annual Burden Estimates: Data collection is expected to take place over a 4-year period and annual burden has been calculated to reflect this timeline. ACF will submit an extension request to OMB when necessary, prior to the initial expiration date.

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:42 U.S.C. 651 et. seq. and 42 U.S.C. 1315.

91 FR 24873