[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 88 (Thursday, May 7, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25211-25212]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-12085]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Project: Early Head Start Evaluation.

    OMB No: New Request.
    Description: The Head Start Reauthorization Act of 1994 established 
a special initiative creating funding for services for families with 
infants and toddlers. In response the Administration on Children, Youth 
and Families (ACYF) designed the Early Head Start (EHS) program. In 
September 1995, ACYF awarded grants to 68 local programs to serve 
families with infants and toddlers. ACYF has subsequently awarded 
grants to an additional 107 local programs, for a total of 175 EHS 
programs.
    EHS programs are designed to produce outcomes in four domains: (1) 
Child development, (2) family development, (3) staff development, and 
(4) community development. The Reauthorization required that this new 
initiative be evaluated. To study the effect of the initiative, ACYF 
awarded a contract through a competitive procurement to Mathematica 
Policy Research, Inc. (MPR) with a subcontract to Columbia University's 
Center for Young Children and Families. The evaluation will be carried 
out from October 1, 1995 through September 30, 2000. Data collection 
activities that are the subject of this Federal Register notice are 
intended for the third and final phase of the EHS evaluation.
    The sample for the child and family assessments will be 
approximately 3,000 families who include a pregnant woman or a child 
under 12 months of age, in 17 EHS study sites. Each family will be 
randomly assigned to a treatment group or a control group. The sample 
for the child care assessments will include the primary child care 
provider for the focal child in each of the 3,000 study sample 
families. The surveys and assessments will be conducted through 
computer-assisted telephone and personal interviewing, pencil and paper 
self-administered questionnaires, structured observations and 
videotaping. All data collection instruments have been designed to 
minimize the burden on respondents by minimizing interviewing and 
assessment time. Participation in the study is voluntary and 
confidential.
    The information will be used by government managers, Congress and 
others to identify the features and evaluate the effectiveness of the 
EHS program.
    Respondents: Applicants to the Early Head Start program and child 
care providers for Early Head Start families and control group 
families.
    Annual Burden Estimates:

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                                                                            Number of     Average               
                                                               Number of    responses      burden       Total   
                         Instrument                           respondents      per       hours per      burden  
                                                                            respondent    response      hours   
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
36-Month Parent Interview, Child Assessment, and Videotaping                                                    
 Protocol...................................................          576            1          2.0        1,152
Child Care Provider Interview:                                                                                  
  Child Care Centers:                                                                                           
      Center Directors......................................          161            1          .25           40
      Direct Provider.......................................          161            1          .17           27
      Classroom Staff.......................................          161            1          .17           27
  Family Child Care Providers...............................           40            1           .5           20

[[Page 25212]]

                                                                                                                
      Family Provider Assistants............................            9            1          .17            1
  Relative Care Providers...................................          113            1           .5           57
      Relative Provider Assistants..........................           25            1          .17            4
Child Care Provider Observation Protocol:                                                                       
  Child Care Centers:                                                                                           
      Family Child Care Providers...........................          161            1            2          321
      Relative Care Providers...............................           40            1            2           79
                                                                      113            1            2          227
Staff Questionnaire.........................................          190            1            1          190
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours.........................  ...........  ...........  ...........        2,146
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    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 comment on the specific aspects of the 
information collection described above. Copies of the proposed 
collection of information can be obtained by writing to The 
Administration for Children and Families, Office of Information 
Services, Division of Information Resource Management, 370 L'Enfant 
Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20047, Attn.: ACF Reports Clearance 
Officer. All requests should be identified by title.
    Comments are invited 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) ways to enhance to 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 on or before July 6, 1998.

    Dated April 30, 1998.
Bob Sargis,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 98-12085 Filed 5-6-98; 8:45 am]
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