2760 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 7 / Wednesday, January 11, 1995 / Notices

Date Received: 6/13/94.

Type: AFDC/Medicaid.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Linda Martin, (803)

737–6010.

Waiver Title: Virginia—Welfare to

Work Program.

Description: Statewide, would

provide one-time diversion payments to

qualified applicants in lieu of AFDC;

change first time JOBS non-compliance

sanction to a fixed period of one month

or until compliance and remove the

conciliation requirement; require

paternity establishment as condition of

eligibility; remove good cause for noncooperation with child support and

exclude from AFDC grant caretakers

who cannot identify, misidentify, or fail

to provide information on the father;

require minor parents to live with an

adult guardian; require AFDC caretakers

without a high school diploma, aged 24

and under, and children, aged 13–18, to

attend school; require immunization of

children; allow $5,000 resource

exemption for savings for starting

business; and increase eligibility for

Transitional and At-Risk Child Care.

Also: require non-exempt participants to

sign an Agreement of Personal

Responsibility as a condition of

eligibility and assign to a work site

under CWEP for a number of hours

determined by dividing AFDC grant

plus the value of the family’s Food

Stamp benefits by the minimum wage;

eliminate increased AFDC benefit for

additional children born while a family

received AFDC; time-limit AFDC

benefits to 24 consecutive months;

increase earned income disregards to

allow continued eligibility up to the

federal poverty level; provide 12 months

transitional transportation assistance;

modify current JOBS exemption criteria

for participants; eliminate the job search

limitation; and eliminate the deeming

requirement for sponsored aliens when

the sponsor receives food stamps. In 12

sites, would operate sub-component

paying wages in lieu of AFDC benefits

and Food Stamps for CWEP and

subsidized employment, increase

eligibility for transitional Medicaid;

plus other provisions.

Date Received: 12/2/94.

Type: AFDC/Medicaid.

Current Status: New.

Contact Person: Larry B. Mason, (804)

692–1900.

Waiver Title: Washington—Success

Through Employment Program.

Description: Eliminate 100-hour rule

and work history requirements for

AFDC–UP cases and subtract client

earnings from 55 percent of the State

need standard rather than the payment

standard.

Date Received: 11/16/93.

Type: AFDC.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Laurel Evans, (206)

438–8268.

III. Listing of Approved Proposals Since

December 1, 1994

Waiver Title: Indiana—Manpower,

Placement and Comprehensive Training

Program.

Contact Person: James M. Hmurovich,

(317) 232–4704.

Waiver Title: Mississippi—A New

Direction Demonstration Program.

Contact Person: Larry Temple (703)

538–2440.

IV. Requests for Copies of a Proposal

Requests for copies of an AFDC or

combined AFDC/Medicaid proposal

should be directed to the

Administration for Children and

Families (ACF) at the address listed

above. Questions concerning the content

of a proposal should be directed to the

State contact listed for the proposal.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program, No. 93562; Assistance Payments—

Research.)

Dated: January 4, 1995.

Howard Rolston,

Director, Office of Policy and Evaluation.

[FR Doc. 95–616 Filed 1–10–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4184–01–P

[Program Announcement No. 93631–95–01]

Developmental Disabilities: Request

for Public Comments on Proposed

Developmental Disabilities Funding

Priorities for Projects of National

Significance for Fiscal Year 1995

AGENCY: Administration on

Developmental Disabilities (ADD),

Administration for Children and

Families (ACF).

ACTION: Notice of request for public

comments on developmental disabilities

funding priorities for Projects of

National Significance for Fiscal Year

1995.

SUMMARY: The Administration on

Developmental Disabilities (ADD),

Administration for Children and

Families (ACF), announces that public

comments are being requested on

funding priorities for Fiscal Year 1995

Projects of National Significance.

We welcome specific comments and

suggestions on these proposed funding

priorities as well as recommendations

for additional priority areas which will

assist in bringing about the increased

independence, productivity, and

integration into the community of

individuals with developmental

disabilities.

DATES: The closing date for submission

of public comments is March 13, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent

to: Bob Williams, Commissioner,

Administration on Developmental

Disabilities, Administration for Children

and Families, Department of Health and

Human Services, Room 329–D, HHH

Building, 200 Independence Avenue

SW., Washington, D.C. 20201.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Adele Gorelick, Program Development

Division, Administration on

Developmental Disabilities, 202/690–

5982.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Part I. Background

A. Goals of the Administration on

Developmental Disabilities

The Administration on

Developmental Disabilities (ADD) is

located within the Administration for

Children and Families (ACF),

Department of Health and Human

Services (DHHS). Although different

from the other ACF program

administrations in the specific

constituency it serves, ADD shares a

common set of goals that promote the

economic and social well-being of

families, children, individuals and

communities. Through national

leadership, we see:

• Families and individuals

empowered to increase their own

economic independence and

productivity;

• Strong, healthy, supportive

communities having a positive impact

on the quality of life and the

development of children;

• Partnerships with individuals,

front-line service providers,

communities, States and Congress that

enable solutions which transcend

traditional agency boundaries;

• Services planned and integrated to

improve client access; and

• A strong commitment to working

with Native Americans, individuals

with developmental disabilities,

refugees and migrants to address their

needs, strengths and abilities.

Emphasis on these goals and progress

toward them will help more

individuals, including those with

developmental disabilities, to live

productive and independent lives

integrated into their communities. The

Projects of National Significance

Program is one means through which

ADD promotes the achievement of these

goals.

Two issues are of particular concern

with these projects. First, there is a
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 7 / Wednesday, January 11, 1995 / Notices 2761

pressing need for networking and

cooperation among specialized and

categorical programs, particularly at the

service delivery level, to ensure

continuation of coordinated services to

people with developmental disabilities.

Second, project findings and successful

innovative models of projects need to be

made available nationally to policy

makers as well as to direct service

providers.

B. Purpose of the Administration on

Developmental Disabilities

The Administration on

Developmental Disabilities (ADD) is the

lead agency within ACF and DHHS

responsible for planning and

administering programs which promote

the self-sufficiency and protect the

rights of individuals with

developmental disabilities.

The 1994 Amendments (Pub. L. 103–

230) to the Developmental Disabilities

Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (42

U.S.C.6000, et seq.) (the Act) supports

and provides assistance to States and

public and private nonprofit agencies

and organizations to assure that

individuals with developmental

disabilities and their families participate

in the design of and have access to

culturally competent services, supports,

and other assistance and opportunities

that promote independence,

productivity and integration and

inclusion into the community.

The Act points out that:

• Disability is a natural part of the

human experience that does not

diminish the right of individuals with

developmental disabilities to enjoy the

opportunity for independence,

productivity and inclusion into the

community;

• Individuals whose disabilities occur

during their developmental period

frequently have severe disabilities that

are likely to continue indefinitely;

• Individuals with developmental

disabilities often require lifelong

specialized services and assistance,

provided in a coordinated and

culturally competent manner by many

agencies, professionals, advocates,

community representatives, and others

to eliminate barriers and to meet the

needs of such individuals and their

families;

The Act further finds that:

• Individuals with developmental

disabilities, including those with the

most severe developmental disabilities,

are capable of achieving independence,

productivity, and integration and

inclusion into the community, and often

require the provision of services,

supports and other assistance to achieve

such;

• Individuals with developmental

disabilities have competencies,

capabilities and personal goals that

should be recognized, supported, and

encouraged, and any assistance to such

individuals should be provided in an

individualized manner, consistent with

the unique strengths, resources,

priorities, concerns, abilities, and

capabilities of the individual;

• Individuals with developmental

disabilities and their families are the

primary decision makers regarding the

services and supports such individuals

and their families receive; and play

decision making roles in policies and

programs that affect the lives of such

individuals and their families; and

• It is in the nation’s interest for

individuals with developmental

disabilities to be employed, and to live

conventional and independent lives as a

part of families and communities.

Toward these ends, ADD seeks to

enhance the capabilities of families in

assisting individuals with

developmental disabilities to achieve

their maximum potential; to support the

increasing ability of individuals with

developmental disabilities to exercise

greater choice and self-determination; to

engage in leadership activities in their

communities; as well as to ensure the

protection of their legal and human

rights.

Programs funded under the Act are:

• Federal assistance to State

developmental disabilities councils;

• State system for the protection and

advocacy of individual rights;

• Grants to university affiliated

programs for interdisciplinary training,

exemplary services, technical

assistance, and information

dissemination; and

• Grants for Projects of National

Significance.

C. Description of Projects of National

Significance

Under Part E of the Act,

demonstration (and in some cases,

cooperative agreement) grants and

technical assistance contracts are

awarded for projects of national

significance that support the

development of national and State

policy to enhance the independence,

productivity, and integration and

inclusion of individuals with

developmental disabilities through:

• Data collection and analysis;

• Technical assistance to enhance the

quality of State developmental

disabilities councils, protection and

advocacy systems, and university

affiliated programs; and

• Other projects of sufficient size and

scope that hold promise to expand or

improve opportunities for individuals

with developmental disabilities,

including:

—technical assistance for the

development of information and

referral systems;

—educating policy makers;

—Federal interagency initiatives;

—the enhancement of participation of

racial and ethnic groups in public and

private sector initiatives in

developmental disabilities;

—transition of youth with

developmental disabilities from

school to adult life; and

—special pilots and evaluation studies

to explore the expansion of programs

under part B (State developmental

disabilities councils) to individuals

with severe disabilities other than

developmental disabilities.

Section 162(c) of the Act requires that

ADD publish in the Federal Register

proposed priorities for grants and

contracts to carry out Projects of

National Significance. The Act also

requires a period of 60 days for public

comment concerning such proposed

priorities. After analyzing and

considering such comments, ADD must

publish in the Federal Register final

priorities for such grants and contracts,

and solicit applications for funding

based on the final priorities selected.

The following section presents the

proposed priority areas for Fiscal Year

1995 Projects of National Significance.

We welcome specific comments and

suggestions as well as suggestions for

additional priority areas. We would also

like to receive suggestions on topics

which are timely and relate to specific

needs in the developmental disabilities

field.

Please be aware that the development

of final funding priorities is based on

the public comment response to this

notice, current agency and departmental

priorities, needs in the field of

developmental disabilities and the

developmental disabilities network, etc.,

as well as the availability of funds for

this fiscal year.

Part II. Fiscal Year 1995 Proposed

Priority Areas for Projects of National

Significance

ADD is interested in all comments

and recommendations which address

areas of existing or evolving national

significance related to the field of

developmental disabilities.

ADD also solicits recommendations

for project activities which will

advocate for public policy change and

community acceptance of all

individuals with developmental

disabilities and families so that such
2762 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 7 / Wednesday, January 11, 1995 / Notices

individuals receive the culturally

competent services, supports, and other

assistance and opportunities necessary

to enable them to achieve their

maximum potential through increased

independence, productivity, and

integration into the community.

ADD is also interested in activities

which promote the inclusion of all

individuals with developmental

disabilities, including individuals with

the most severe disabilities, in

community life; which promote the

interdependent activity of all

individuals with developmental

disabilities and individuals who are not

disabled; and which recognize the

contributions of these individuals

(whether they have a disability or not),

as such individuals share their talents at

home, school, and work, and in

recreation and leisure time.

No proposals, concept papers or other

forms of applications should be

submitted at this time. Any such

submission will be discarded.

ADD will not respond to individual

comment letters. However, all

comments will be considered in

preparing the final funding solicitation

announcement and will be

acknowledged and addressed in that

announcement.

Please be reminded that, because of

possible funding limitations, not all of

the proposed priority areas listed below

may be published in the final funding

solicitation for this fiscal year.

Comments should be addressed to:

Bob Williams, Commissioner,

Administration on Developmental

Disabilities, Department of Health and

Human Services, Room 329–D HHH

Building, 200 Independence Avenue

SW., Washington, D.C. 20201.

Proposed Fiscal Year 1995 Priority Area

1: ADD and ACYF Family and Youth

Services Bureau (FYSB) Collaboration

Between Youth Service Providers and

Disabilities Advocates To Enhance

Services to Youth With Developmental

Disabilities

The Family and Youth Services

Bureau within the Administration on

Children, Youth and Families (ACYF)

and the Administration on

Developmental Disabilities (ADD),

Administration for Children and

Families (ACF), have established a

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

designed to foster collaboration between

grantee programs to provide improved

access to services for youth with

developmental disabilities who are atrisk of running away or becoming

involved in delinquent behavior. Access

to supports and services lead to selfactualization, self-determination, and

independence through employment.

An important goal of the MOU is to

fund projects that demonstrate the need

for and effectiveness of collaborations

between the ADD and FYSB grantee

programs to enable at-risk youth with

developmental disabilities to achieve

their full potential and grow to be

successful, independent adults.

Employment is an important outcome

for at-risk youth with developmental

disabilities. It is proposed that FYSB

and ADD will jointly fund three grants

in FY 1995, each for a three-year project

period and each at a level of $150,000

per year.

Applicants must document that the

proposed project will be designed and

implemented through collaborative

efforts by FYSB and ADD funded

grantees. Successful applicants would

propose projects to:

• Improve coordination of services

through information-sharing and

networking efforts;

• Enhance service delivery through

the identification of existing barriers to

service provision, and

• Improve service provision through

the identification of appropriate training

materials and the development of

collaboration strategies for

comprehensive service provision to atrisk youth.

Proposed Fiscal Year 1995 Priority Area

2: Americans With Developmental

Disabilities and the Criminal Justice

System

Individuals with developmental

disabilities (especially mental

retardation), both as victims and those

accused and convicted of committing

crimes, are becoming increasingly

involved in the criminal justice system.

Moreover, these individuals often face

unequal justice at the hands of police

and the courts precisely because the

current system is not educated or

prepared to respond or adapt to their

disabilities and self-advocates have not

been considered as essential elements of

the educational process.

According to a recent Justice

Department report, youth in general are

at physical and emotional risk in most

facilities where they are held. Nearly

one-half of the facilities surveyed

exceeded their design capacity and only

20 to 26 percent had adequate bed

space, health care, security, or suicide

control. Youth with developmental

disabilities are especially unprepared

and unprotected in this stressed

environment.

The Americans with Disabilities Act

requires police departments to take

steps, including educating and

providing information dissemination

when necessary, to avoid discriminatory

treatment on the basis of disability.

However, to date, States and localities

have received little direction on how to

carry out these provisions with respect

to Americans with developmental and

other disabilities who get caught up in

the criminal justice system.

Hence, a much more focused effort

must be made toward identifying and

replicating best and promising practices

in this area. This is especially true if the

critical concept of ‘‘community

policing’’ is going to be applied to

individuals with disabilities in a fair

and effective manner throughout our

Nation.

Much greater emphasis must be

placed on providing current police and

new recruits with the education and

information needed to afford

individuals with disabilities who are

victims or alleged perpetrators of crime

with equal justice under the law. All

interrogations involving individuals

whose disabilities affect comprehension

and communication should be

electronically recorded. This is not

being done on a uniform basis. Nor is

the concept of competency to stand trial

being regularly applied through an

evaluation of the ability to help one’s

lawyer prepare a defense and to

understand the proceedings and the

possibility of punishment.

The input and participation of

individuals with developmental and

other disabilities is crucial for

familiarizing police and others with the

unique range of needs and abilities of

this population.

Additional training is needed to better

prepare individuals with disabilities to

avoid conduct that might place them at

risk of becoming victims or perpetrators

of criminal activities and to negotiate in

the criminal justice system should they

become involved with it. An

understanding of Miranda rights and

responses is crucial.

ADD is particularly interested in

national, State, and local self-advocacy

networks, with the capacity to work

collaboratively with the developmental

disabilities network, service providers,

law enforcement officials, criminal

justice agencies, the civil rights

community, and others, that would be

able to spearhead such efforts and

develop culturally competent, ongoing

programs with measurable outcomes.
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 7 / Wednesday, January 11, 1995 / Notices 2763

Proposed Fiscal Year 1995 Priority Area

3: First Jobs—Introducing Young

Persons With/Without Developmental

Disabilities to the World of Work and

Community Service

Nationally, the employment outlook

for young Americans with

developmental disabilities is bleak.

Some progress has been made in

supporting individuals with significant

disabilities in real jobs, but the

following facts speak for themselves:

only about 10 percent of students with

developmental disabilities graduating

from school go on to competitive or

supported employment; only about onehalf of individuals with developmental

disabilities surveyed indicated they had

any choice in what job they held; and

90 cents of every Federal dollar, and 80

cents of every State dollar, spent on

providing services to individuals with

developmental disabilities during the

day is spent on keeping individuals in

segregated, nonproductive settings.

The cultural change that needs to

occur is a redirection of the efforts of

service providers and a shifting of focus

onto the abilities and skills of

individuals with disabilities. First-time

job support can result from partnerships

with young people without disabilities.

This emphasis on inclusion provides

mutual benefit as young people in their

first community service or employment

experiences benefit from the resources

of diversity.

ADD is proposing to fund research

and demonstration projects that develop

strategies for first jobs that will lead to

second jobs and ultimate career paths.

Research should include assessments of

current practices and of necessary

supports, such as transportation,

adaptive technology, and personal

assistance services.

Collaborative linkages among service/

support providers should be explored as

well as matches with individuals with

developmental disabilities and those

without disabilities in job settings.

Strategies for success should include

consumer choice and empowerment as

essential approaches in the

development and implementation of

projects that will be culturally

competent, ongoing, and have

measurable outcomes.

ADD is particularly interested in

collaborative projects including State

Welfare/JOBS programs, the

AmeriCorps program of the Corporation

for National and Community Service,

and other private nonprofit agencies and

organizations that would be able to

establish ongoing working relationships

with Head Start, Vocational

Rehabilitation, the Job Training

Partnership Act program, and other

relevant community resources. Every

effort will be made to coordinate the

activities under this priority area with

the Office of Family Assistance and

other Federal agencies such as the

Social Security Administration.

Proposed Fiscal Year 1995 Priority Area

4: Child Care and Early Intervention:

Linkages for Successful Inclusion of

Young Children With Disabilities

The Administration on

Developmental Disabilities is interested

in funding projects which will increase

the capacity of child care and

development programs to meet the

needs of young children with

disabilities. Child care services need to

be included among the essential partner

agencies in the provision of early,

continuous, intensive and

comprehensive child development and

family support services to children with

disabilities and their families. The

primary goals of projects to consider

would be increasing access to quality

child care services for children with

disabilities birth through age 5 and

increasing the delivery of early

intervention and related services to

children in natural and inclusive

environments.

Although inclusion of children with

disabilities within child care is not a

new occurrence, few formal

mechanisms support effective

coordination between the child care and

disability communities. These systems

remain separate and apart even as they

are called upon to provide services to

the same children and families. Families

of young children with disabilities

continue to rank child care among the

highest of their unmet needs and early

findings of the Part H Early Intervention

Program for infants and toddlers show

no significant number of young children

receiving these services within child

care or other natural environments

outside the home.

Access to quality child care services

for children with disabilities was

significantly strengthened and is

protected by the passage of the

Americans with Disabilities Act in July

1992. The ADA explicitly prohibits

discrimination of children with

disabilities in public and private child

care settings. The Act describes the

protections available to children with

disabilities and their families and also

describes the child care providers’ legal

responsibility and required steps to

make accommodations which ensure

access and opportunities for full

participation.

While the ADA opens many doors

and provides the legal protections to

assure access to children with

disabilities, this prohibition of

discrimination, in and of itself, is

limited in its ability to increase the

capacity of child care programs to

successfully include children with

disabilities. Even when providers

understand their obligations under the

ADA, they continue to need ongoing

access to training, technical assistance,

mentorship, and consultation to

implement meaningful and inclusionary

policies and programs.

Furthermore, the linkages between

childhood disability and poverty have

long gone unnoticed and unaddressed.

The number of children with disabilities

living in poverty is significant. Their

needs, as well as those of their parents,

for quality child care are great. Nearly

8 percent of children on AFDC have

disabilities. Without intervention and

support, children in poverty are also at

risk for disability.

New approaches to strengthening

America’s families and providing

services to its youngest and most

vulnerable children require the

commitment and combined effort of

multiple delivery systems. The

foundation for collaborative approaches

is evident in recent Federal legislation

addressing the needs of children and

families.

ADD is particularly interested in local

and Statewide projects that promote a

seamless interagency approach to better

serve children with disabilities, and

especially those children with

disabilities who live in poverty. To

develop child care services which are

responsive to the needs of young

children with disabilities and their

families, the protections of the ADA

must be joined with best practices in the

field of early childhood education, early

intervention, and family support

services. Projects should address the

significant training needs of the child

care community, providers, and parents

of children with disabilities regarding

the ADA and its protections and

obligations.

Projects should identify or develop

strategies and mechanisms which

support and expand training

opportunities across systems. Strategies

should encourage the sharing of

resources and expertise, as well as

establishing opportunities for ongoing

mentorship and technical assistance.

Overall, formal and informal linkages

developed through these projects should

increase the knowledge, awareness, and

access to resources and services among

families, child care providers, early

childhood educators, disability service

providers, and others who work with
2764 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 7 / Wednesday, January 11, 1995 / Notices

children with disabilities and their

families.

ADD is interested in funding projects

reflecting these values in culturally

competent, inclusive, family-centered

and measurably outcome-oriented

approaches that can establish ongoing

relationships.

In addition, ADD is interested in joint

efforts of projects such as the

Americorps program of the Corporation

for National and Community Service

and the JOBS program, whereby young

adults with disabilities may participate

in jobs and community service as

personal assistants and inclusion aides.

Proposed Fiscal Year 1995 Priority Area

5: Building a Multi-Cultural Network

Within the Developmental Disabilities

System

The reality of an American society in

which racial and ethnic cultural

minorities are increasing in numbers

and influence is becoming more evident

each day. There are more than three

million American children and adults

with developmental disabilities,

including a large number who are

members of racial and ethnic minority

groups. Many of these individuals and

families from culturally diverse

backgrounds remain outside of the

various disability systems designed for

their benefit; they are unable to gain

access to the service systems, let alone

fully participate in or benefit from them.

Successful individuals of color with

disabilities are often not encouraged or

identified to serve as role models for

other individuals having disabilities. In

large part, the developmental

disabilities network does not reflect this

new multicultural reality—not among

faculty, planners, staffs, trainees, or

advocates. As a first step in addressing

this situation, ADD established a

multicultural committee with the

mission of advising and providing

resources to the Commissioner of ADD

on all matters that may influence the

implementation of a culturally

competent service system for persons

with disabilities.

Therefore, ADD is proposing to fund

projects that will enable the

developmental disabilities network to

gain and maintain the knowledge, skills,

and competencies necessary to serve a

culturally diverse constituency. These

projects should assist the components of

the developmental disabilities network

(Developmental Disabilities Councils,

Protection and Advocacy Agencies, and

University Affiliated Programs) in

obtaining appropriate tools to identify

areas of need and to develop action

strategies that will address not only

current needs but have as a goal

institutionalizing cultural competency

in every aspect of our programs. For

some components, assistance in cultural

competence should be implemented at

the community or policy/advocacy level

while other programs will need

assistance at a more basic internal/

programmatic level. Within and outside

the developmental disabilities system

are existing resources, both material and

human, that these projects should

collect and utilize through a cadre of

consultants with expertise in this area.

At the local level, building linkages or

connections among and between the

Developmental Disabilities Councils,

P&As, and UAPs with cultural/ethnic

organizations that are representative of

community demographics will be

essential as these components of the

developmental disabilities network

develop and implement action

strategies. Therefore, ADD is

particularly interested in fostering Statelevel coalitions between Developmental

Disabilities Councils, Protection and

Advocacy Systems, UniversityAffiliated Programs, and Historically

Black Colleges and Universities

(HBCUs) and other institutions of higher

education with high minority student

enrollment, major civil rights

organizations, and cultural/ethnic

associations. Without the involvement

of these types of organizations, the

ability and capacity to understand and

thus serve individuals and families from

different racial/ethnic backgrounds

would be severely hindered.

Key to the operation and long-term

effect of these projects is the

dissemination of knowledge, best

practices, materials, and experiences

between the networks and beyond. This

needs to occur not only during the

length of the projects but at the end as

well. ADD is interested in dissemination

activities that would maintain and share

ongoing information, existing resources

of consultants/experts, curriculum/

materials with funded projects and

within the network. At a national level

the experiences of these projects should

be shared with the developmental

disabilities network and the disability

field, as well as with major civil rights

organizations, other minority

organizations, and institutions of higher

education such as HBCUs, leading to

further collaboration and partnership at

the State level in the continued

development of cultural competency.

Of particular interest are projects that

have as a focus the professional

recruitment and retention of individuals

who are from culturally diverse

backgrounds with disabilities into all

aspects of the three components of the

DD network, especially in research,

training, policy, and administration.

Only in this way will people with

developmental disabilities be

empowered and the system made to

reflect their vision.

Proposed Fiscal Year 1995 Priority Area

6: Accessing Telecommunication

Services for Persons With

Developmental Disabilities

With the advancement in technology

as it relates to the telecommunication

information superhighway, the

availability of service information for

individuals with disabilities has become

more accessible. This accessibility

opens up the possibility for greater

utilization of services to families and

individuals with developmental

disabilities through the use of computer

technology.

Consumers and their families need,

along with the private sector, to be

apprised of the services that are

available. Computer bulletin board

service providers such as Internet,

Compuserve, Prodigy, and others are

mechanisms which provide a wealth of

information. These services also have

the ability to enable individuals with

disabilities to access information on

governmental programs serving their

population, available treatment

facilities, medical breakthroughs, best

practices, and the sharing of concerns

on issues regarding disabilities.

Therefore, ADD is interested in

funding projects to develop strategies

which would reach individuals with

developmental disabilities and their

families, and underserved individuals

using computer linkages. ADD is also

interested in funding projects that will

provide information and other

assistance to organizations that want to

set up telecommunication systems that

link advocacy groups, service providers,

consumers, and parents on a national

basis. ADD is aware that a number of

computer bulletin boards already exist,

but which ones are targeted to

developmental disabilities consumers

and their families is unknown. In

addition, how individuals with

disabilities would access and utilize

information from these systems is not

known.

Proposed Fiscal Year 1995 Priority Area

7: Meeting the Mental Health Needs of

Individuals With Developmental

Disabilities

Meeting the mental health needs of

individuals with developmental

disabilities is a ‘‘quality of life’’ goal,

but, often community service personnel

neither have the skills nor the desire to

effectively treat individuals with

developmental disabilities who have
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 7 / Wednesday, January 11, 1995 / Notices 2765

mental health needs. In addition, these

consumers are often caught between two

service delivery systems (mental health

and developmental disabilities) where

the type and continuity of resources

required for effective treatment and

improved life quality are inefficient,

ineffective or non-existent. Improving

the adequacy and availability of such

resources will depend on better training

for both specialized and generic service

providers.

The challenge of the 1990s is to

provide for a coordinated, collaborative

human service delivery system that will

enable individuals with developmental

disabilities to receive services in an

expeditious and coordinated manner.

The creation of such a system will allow

for full community integration and

inclusion of individuals with

developmental disabilities who also

need mental health services.

ADD is interested in projects which

demonstrate the potential for creative

and humanizing approaches to

designing, implementing and evaluating

projects which assist community

agencies in coordinating efforts in the

mental health and developmental

disabilities service systems; train mental

health professionals and

paraprofessionals on developmental

disabilities issues; educate family

members, advocates, individuals with

developmental disabilities and service

providers on state-of-the-art practices in

the field of mental illness and

developmental disabilities; and develop

and disseminate methods for working

with the mental health and

developmental disabilities networks to

promote full inclusion and membership

in the community.

Proposed Fiscal Year 1995 Priority Area

8: Children at Risk: The Impact of

Abuse and Violence on Children with

Disabilities

Children with disabilities have been

found to be abused at two to ten times

the rate of children without disabilities.

Most perpetrators of the abuse are well

known to the victim. They have been

service providers, including teachers,

doctors, administrators, therapists, and

bus drivers, but most have been family

members. Many were abused

themselves as children, alcoholism is

more prevalent, and low income,

unemployment, and poor health are

significant factors. Maltreatment can

include physical, sexual, and emotional

abuse and physical, educational, and

emotional neglect.

A significant percentage of

developmental disabilities are caused by

abuse. Victims of child neglect sustain

such permanent disabilities as mental

retardation and learning and cognitive

disabilities. Over half the fatalities

related to child abuse occur from 0 to

1 year and 90 percent of such fatalities

occur in children under 5 years of age.

Clearly, there is an epidemic—3

million cases in 1993. Public awareness

as well as professional intervention are

urgently needed. Because in four out of

five cases, the perpetrators have been

the child’s parents, a family-centered

approach is appropriate, including

intergenerational resources, as is crossdisciplinary and cross-network training

and collaboration.

ADD is interested in funding one or

more State demonstration projects for

development and implementation of a

Statewide collaboration/coordination

strategy to reduce the incidence of abuse

and neglect of children with disabilities

and reduce the incidence of abuse and

neglect of children which causes or

contributes to the development of

disabilities.

Such a strategy would involve

developing a Statewide strategy for a

multi-agency, multi-system approach to

address the problem of maltreatment of

children with disabilities. This

coordination and collaboration strategy

should involve all pertinent State

agencies/programs, including Child

Welfare Services, Education, the

Developmental Disabilities Protection

and Advocacy Agency, Developmental

Disabilities Planning Council, Child

Care, any State Head Start Coordinator,

Health (including mental health and

substance abuse, maternal and child

health), Welfare (AFDC, Medicaid, etc.),

Mental Retardation, the criminal justice

system, and any other pertinent entities.

The project should involve appropriate

State Councils/planning bodies

including those for Family Preservation

and Support, State Interagency

Coordinating Council for Part H, IDEA,

and other public and private programs/

resources including the Developmental

Disabilities University Affiliated

Program in the State and consumer

agencies such as the United Cerebral

Palsy Association (UCPA) and the

Association for Retarded Citizens (ARC).

The strategy should include the

following components:

(1) the development of a plan to

conduct interdisciplinary training in

both the field of child abuse and neglect

and the field of disability,

simultaneously, which is designed for

State and local agency personnel and

other providers on the risk,

investigation, reporting, assessment,

intervention and follow-up of cases of

maltreatment involving children with

disabilities including training on how to

work collaboratively on an ongoing

basis.

(2) a design for formation of

interdisciplinary teams which include

disability specialists to assess and treat

cases of abuse and neglect involving

children with disabilities, including

consideration of the nature of the child’s

disability (e.g., osteogenesis imperfecta,

self-injury).

(3) the development of ongoing

interagency agreements to facilitate

coordination and collaboration of all

relevant agencies/programs concerned

with maltreatment cases involving

children with disabilities.

(4) a plan for providing

comprehensive community-based

services for the treatment of abuse and

neglect involving children with

disabilities.

(5) a design for prevention activities

to reduce incidence of maltreatment

cases involving children with

disabilities, including family support

programs, child abuse and neglect

training for families of children with

disabilities and such training for

children with disabilities.

(6) mechanisms to promote

implementation of this same multiagency/multi-system approach in local

communities in the State.

Applications for funding for

demonstration projects and models of

prevention and intervention should

include an inventory of resources and

best practices, plans for replication and

dissemination, and methods for the

evaluation of outcomes. They should

reflect cultural competency and an

understanding of legal issues as well as

the political realities of decentralization

of service delivery and empowerment of

community-based efforts.

Proposed Fiscal Year 1995 Priority Area

9: Technical Assistance Projects

Under current contractual

arrangements, ADD will be awarding

funds to provide technical assistance to

improve the functions of the

Developmental Disabilities Councils,

Protection and Advocacy Systems,

University Affiliated Programs, and to

provide additional technical assistance

to the developmental disabilities field in

the areas of community-living, multicultural issues, accessibility and

accommodations, leadership and policy

development.

(Federal Catalog of Domestic Assistance

Number 93.631 Developmental Disabilities—

Projects of National Significance)
2766 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 7 / Wednesday, January 11, 1995 / Notices

Dated: January 4, 1995.

Bob Williams,

Commissioner, Administration on

Developmental Disabilities.

[FR Doc. 95–615 Filed 1–10–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4184–01–P

Administration on Children, Youth and

Families; Statement of Organization,

Functions, and Delegations of

Authority

This notice amends Part K of the

Statement of Organization, Functions,

and Delegations of Authority of the

Department of Health and Human

Services, Administration for Children

and Families (ACF) as follows: Chapter

KB, Administration on Children, Youth

and Families (ACYF) (56 FR 42336), as

last amended, August 27, 1991; and KH,

Office of Family Assistance (OFA) (56

FR 42343), as last amended, August 27,

1991. This reorganization will establish

the Child Care Bureau within the ACYF

to administer the child care policy and

operational presently administered

within ACF.

1. Amend Chapter KB as follows:

a. KB.00 Mission. Delete in its entirety

and replace with the following:

KB.00 Mission. The Administration

on Children, Youth and Families

(ACYF) advises the Secretary, through

the Assistant Secretary for Children and

Families, on matters relating to the

sound development of children, youth,

and families by planning, developing

and implementing a broad range of

activities. It administers state grant

programs under titles IV–B and IV–E of

the Social Security Act; administers

child care programs authorized under

Title IV–A of the Social Security Act;

manages the Adoption Opportunities

program and other discretionary

programs for the development and

provision of child welfare services; and

administers discretionary grant

programs providing Head Start services

and facilities for runaway youth. ACYF

administers the Child Abuse Prevention

and Treatment Act and the Child Care

and Development Block Grant. It

supports and encourages services which

prevent or remedy the effects of abuse

and/or neglect of children and youth.

In concert with other components of

ACF, the ACYF develops and

implements research, demonstration

and evaluation strategies for the

discretionary funding of activities

designed to improve and enrich the

lives of children and youth and to

strengthen families. It administers Child

Welfare Services training and Child

Welfare services research and

demonstration programs authorized by

title IV–B of the Social Security Act;

administers the Runaway and Homeless

Youth Act authorized by title III of the

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Prevention Act; and manages initiatives

to involve the private and voluntary

sectors in the areas of children, youth

and families.

b. KB.10 Organization. Delete in its

entirety and replace with the following:

KB.10 Organization. The

Administration on Children, Youth and

Families is headed by a Commissioner

who reports directly to the Assistant

Secretary for Children and Families and

consists of:

Office of the Commissioner (KBA)

Division of Program Evaluation (KBB)

Head Start Bureau (KBC)

Program Operations Division (KBC 1)

Program Support Division (KBC 2)

Children’s Bureau (KBD)

Child Welfare Division (KBD 1)

Family and Youth Services Bureau

(KBE)

Program Operations Division (KBE 1)

Program Support Division (KBE 2)

National Center on Child Abuse and

Neglect (KBF)

Program Policy and Planning Division

(KBF 1)

Clearinghouse Division (KBF 2)

Child Care Bureau (KBG)

Program Operations Division (KBG 1)

Policy Division (KBG 2)

c. Delete paragraph D2. ‘‘Child Care

Division’’ in its entirety.

d. Add paragraph G. Add the

following to establish paragraph G:

G. Child Care Bureau serves as the

principal advisor to the Commissioner

on issues regarding child care programs.

It has primary responsibility for the

operation of all child care programs

authorized under Title IV–A of the

Social Security Act including AFDC

Child Care, Transitional Child Care and

At-Risk Child Care; the Child Care and

Development Block Grant (CC&DBG);

and the Dependent Care Planning and

Development Grant. It develops

legislative, regulatory and budgetary

proposals; presents operational

planning objectives and initiatives

related to child care to the Office of the

Commissioner; and oversees the

progress of approved activities. It

provides leadership and coordination

for child care within the ACF. It

provides leadership and linkages with

other agencies on child care issues

including agencies within DHHS,

relevant agencies across the federal,

state, local governments and tribal

governments, and non-government

organizations at the federal, state and

local levels.

1. The Program Operations Division

develops, collects and maintains a data

base of grantee reports on the operation

of the child care programs; monitors

grantee programs in coordination with

the regions; provides technical

assistance to regional offices, States,

Tribes and Territories concerning child

care program operations; tracks

financial and budget information

relating to the child care programs;

establishes partnerships with public and

private entitles to improve access to

quality child care; tracks child care

research; and compiles the annual

report to Congress.

The Program Operations Division

develops and maintains a resource

center for child care information;

prepares background material, fact

sheets, and articles to provide

information to regional offices, grantees

and the general public; acts as a national

clearinghouse for child care

information; responds to requests for

information about child care; plans

conferences; coordinates the

identification and dissemination of

successful/best practices for the Child

Care Bureau; and coordinates program

activities with other government and

non-government agencies.

2. The Policy Division develops,

interprets and issues national policies,

regulations, and standards governing

child care programs administered by the

Child Care Bureau. The Policy Division

provides clarification of the statutes,

regulations and policies; issues action

transmittals and information

memoranda; recommends and drafts

legislative proposals; prepares briefing

materials for hearings and testimony;

updates the child care plan preprints;

reviews and acts on annual applications

from States, Tribes and Territories in

coordination with the regions;

maintains a data base of grantee plans;

researches child care policy issues;

coordinates policies and procedures

with other agencies such as HCFA, IRS

and FNS; and provides policy training,

guidance and clarification to Regional

Offices in carrying out policy functions.

2. Amend Chapter KH as follows:

a. KH.00 Mission. Delete in its

entirety and replace with the following:

KH.00 Mission. The Office of Family

Assistance (OFA) advises the Secretary,

through the Assistant Secretary for

Children and Families, on matters

relating to public assistance and

economic self-sufficiency programs. The

Office provides leadership, direction,

and technical guidance to the

nationwide administration of the

following programs: Aid to Families

with Dependent Children (AFDC), Aid

to the Aged, Blind and Disabled in

Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin

Islands, the Emergency Assistance