[Federal Register: September 10, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 175)]
[Notices]               
[Page 48513-48514]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10se98-95]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

 
Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Proposed Project

    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 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 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       response          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
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    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 217.
    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 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

[[Page 48514]]

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 agency 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: September 9, 1993.
Bob Sargis,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 98-24197 Filed 9-9-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M