[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 16 (Tuesday, January 25, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3963-3964]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-1670]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

    Proposed Project:
    Title: National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System.
    OMB No.: 0980-0256.
    Description: The Administration on Children, Youth and Families 
established the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) 
to respond to the 1996 amendments (Pub. L. 93-247) to the Child Abuse 
Prevention and Treatment Act [42 U.S.C. 5101 et seq.], as amended, 
which called for the creation of a coordinated national data collection 
and analysis program, both universal and case specific in scope, to 
examine standardized data on false, unfounded, or unsubstantiated 
reports. In 1988, ACYF embarked on a collaborative effort with the 
States to develop a voluntary national data collection and analysis 
program, to collect, compile,

[[Page 3964]]

and make available State child abuse and neglect reporting information 
from child protective services agencies in the 50 States, the District 
of Columbia, and the territories.
    NCANDS has two components. The Summary Data Component (SDC) survey 
collects aggregate data on key child protective services statistics. 
The Detailed Case Data Component (DCDC) collects case-level data on 
each child reported as an alleged victim of child maltreatment. The 
Children's Bureau is currently preparing the 9th annual report based on 
the NCANDS data.
    In 1996, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act was amended 
by Public Law 104-235 to require that any State receiving the Basic 
State Grant work with the Secretary of the Department of Health and 
Human Services (DHHS) to provide specific data on child maltreatment to 
the extent practicable. The legislation specified the following data 
elements.
    (1) The number of children who were reported to the State during 
the year as abused or neglected.
    (2) Of the number of children described in paragraph (1), the 
number with respect to whom such reports were--
    (A) substantiated;
    (B) unsubstantiated; or
    (C) determined to be false.
    (3) Of the number of children described in paragraph (2)--
    (A) the number that did not receive services during the year under 
the State program funded under this section or an equivalent State 
program;
    (B) the number that received services during the year under the 
State program funded under this section or an equivalent State program; 
and
    (C) the number that were removed from their families during the 
year by disposition of the case.
    (4) The number of families that received preventive services from 
the State during the year.
    (5) The number of deaths in the State during the year resulting 
from child abuse or neglect.
    (6) Of the number of children described in paragraph (5), the 
number of such children who were in foster care.
    (7) The number of child protective services workers responsible for 
the intake and screening of reports filed in the previous year.
    (8) The agency response time with respect to each such report with 
respect to initial investigation of reports of child abuse or neglect.
    (9) The response time with respect to the provision of services to 
families and children where an allegation of abuse or neglect has been 
made.
    (10) The number of child protective services workers responsible 
for intake, assessment, and investigation of child abuse and neglect 
reports relative to the number of reports investigated in the previous 
year.
    (11) The number of children reunited with their families or 
receiving family preservation services that, within five years, result 
in subsequent substantiated reports of child abuse and neglect, 
including the death of the child.
    (12) The number of children for whom individuals were appointed by 
the court to represent the best interests of such children and the 
average number of out-of-court contacts between such individuals and 
children.
    The reporting requirements specified in CAPTA, as amended, have 
been met through recent revisions to the SDC. After discussions with 
the States and pilot testing with a small number of States, the 
reporting requirements are being integrated into the current DCDC. With 
this modification to the NCANDS, States will be able to annually report 
on child maltreatment using either the SDC or the DCDC. States that 
participate in the DCDC will no longer need to additionally respond to 
the SDC Survey in order to meet the annual reporting requirements.
    The information collected by NCANDS will be used to understand 
better the experiences of children and families served by CPS and to 
guide policy and program development at the national and local levels. 
An annual report, entitled Child Maltreatment, will continue to be 
published. Data collected through the NCANDS will also be used to 
support the Department in responding to the requirements of the 
Government Performance and Results Act; publishing State data in the 
annual report to Congress on child welfare outcomes; and monitoring 
States through the Child and Family Services Review process.
    Respondents: State, Local or Tribal Govt.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
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                                                             Number of        Average burden
             Instrument                   Number of        responses per        hours per         Total burden
                                         respondents         respondent          response            hours
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DCDC................................                 30                  1                130               3900
SDC.................................                 22                  1                 40                880
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    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 4780.
    In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) 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 Information Services, 370 L'Enfant 
Promenade, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance 
Officer. 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.

    Dated: January 18, 2000.
Bob Sargis,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 00-1670 Filed 1-24-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M