[Federal Register: November 27, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 228)]
[Notices]               
[Page 65598-65599]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27no98-68]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

 
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Title: Early Head Start Evaluation Father Study.
    OMB No.: 0970-0169.
    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 awarded grants to 
additional programs, totaling more than 290.
    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 his new 
initiative be evaluated. To study the effect of the initiative, ACYF 
awarded a contract through a competitive

[[Page 65599]]

procurement to Mathematics 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 March 30, 2002. Data collection activities that are the subject 
of this Federal Register notice are intended for the fourth phase of 
the EHS evaluation. The sample for the assessments will be 
approximately 1,144 fathers from the 3,000 EHS sample families, whose 
mothers and infants/toddlers are participating in the study (see OMB 
#0970-0143) in 13 of the EHS study sites. Each family will be randomly 
assigned to a treatment group or a control group. The 36-month father 
assessments will be conducted through personal interviewing, 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 better understand the roles of fathers and father-figures 
with their children and in the EHS program.
    Respondents: Fathers or father-figures of children whose families 
are in the EHS national evaluation sample (both program and control 
group families).

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Estimated       Number of    Average burden
                   Instrument                        number of     responses per     hours per     Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent      respondent         hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
36-month father interview.......................              89               1            1.0               89
36-month interview and videotaping protocol.....              74               1            1.3               96
36-month abbreviated interview and videotaping
 protocol.......................................              30               1            1.05              32
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 217.
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    Additional Information: Copies of the proposed collection may be 
obtained by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, 
Office of Information Services, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW, Washington, 
DC 20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer.
    OMB Comment: OMB is required to make a decision concerning the 
collection of information between 30 to 60 days after publication of 
this document in the Federal Register. Therefore, a comment is best 
assured of having its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of 
publication. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent directly to the following: Office 
of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project, 725 17th Street, 
NW, Washington, DC 20503, Attn: Ms. Wendy Taylor.

    Dated: November 20, 1998.
Bob Sargis,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 98-31566 Filed 11-25-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M