Child Care Bureau: Laws, Policies, Program Instructions, and Allocations

Data Reporting for Indian Tribes; ACF-700 Form

Note: This Program Instruction and its attachments apply to the FY 2006 ACF-700 data collection. View current data reporting guidance.

Index: CCDF-ACF-PI-06-02 | ACF-700 Form | Tribal Annual Report: Guide for CCDF Tribal Lead Agencies

Program Instruction (CCDF-ACF-PI-06-02) (also available in Word and PDF)

ACF Administration for Children and Families	U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
	1. Log No: CCDF-ACF-PI-2006-02	2. Issuance Date: October 26, 2006
	3. Originating Office: Child Care Bureau, Office of Family Assistance
	4. Key Words: Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF); Reporting Requirements and Instructions for Indian Tribes; ACF-700 Form

PROGRAM INSTRUCTION
TO:	Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Tribal Lead Agencies and Other Interested Parties
SUBJECT:	Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Annual Report (Form ACF-700 and Supplemental Narrative) for Tribal Lead Agencies
REFERENCES:	The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 1990, as amended (45 CFR 98.70(c)).
PURPOSE:	This Program Instruction provides the Tribal Lead Agency with the instructions for completing the CCDF Annual Report.
BACKGROUND:	Tribal aggregate information on services provided through CCDF must be submitted annually, as required by the CCDF regulations at 45 CFR 98.70(c).
	The CCDF Annual Report consists of two parts: 1) Form ACF-700; and 2) Supplemental Narrative.
	The Administration for Children and Families' (ACF) form ACF-700 collects data on all children and families receiving direct CCDF-funded child care services during the period October 1, 2005 through September 30, 2006 (i.e., Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2006). Data reflect services provided during FFY 2006 regardless of whether the services were paid for with FFY 2006 funds or prior year CCDF funds. For example, all services provided during FFY 2006 that are paid for with FFY 2004, 2005 or 2006 CCDF funds (i.e., Tribal mandatory and discretionary funds-including funds for resource and referral and school-age care) are to be reported. The Supplemental Narrative Report requests descriptions of the results of specific CCDF-funded activities available on the Tribal Lead Agency's reservation or Tribal service area during FFY 2006.
WHO MUST REPORT:	All Tribal Lead Agencies (i.e., Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Tribal consortia) that received FFY 2006 (or prior year) CCDF funds— and expended these funds during FFY 2006—must submit a complete ACF-700 form by the due date listed below. It is each Tribal Lead Agency’s responsibility to ensure that child care program data are collected and reported to the Child Care Bureau in a timely manner each year.
PENALTIES FOR NON- REPORTING:	The statute provides that the Secretary of Health and Human Services may impose sanctions on a Lead Agency for non-compliance with any requirement of the CCDF program (CCDBG Act, Section 658I(b)(2)(B)). The regulations provide that the Secretary may impose a penalty of not more than four percent of the discretionary funds for a fiscal year, if it is determined that a Lead Agency has failed to implement a provision of the Act, the regulations, or the Lead Agency’s Biennial Plan (Section 98.92(b)(2)). Tribes failing to provide reports may be subject to this penalty (63 FR 39980).
GUIDANCE FOR REPORTING:	The attached Tribal Annual Report: Guide for CCDF Tribal Lead Agencies (ACF-700 Help Guide) contains guidance for completing and submitting ACF-700 and Supplemental Narrative. The Guide is also available at the Child Care Bureau’s website under the Grantee Reporting tab, ACF-700 section. The Guide was developed by the Child Care Automation Resource Center (CCARC), under contract to the Child Care Bureau.
DUE DATE:	The CCDF Tribal Annual Report is due by December 29, 2006.
ACF-700 SUBMISSION OPTIONS:	The Child Care Bureau encourages Tribal Lead Agencies to submit both the ACF-700 and Supplemental Narrative by electronic means.
	Internet Submission of the ACF-700 Form: ACF-700 reports can be submitted through the ACF-700 Data Submission Center on the Child Care Bureau website (http://ww w.acf.hhs.gov/cgi -bin/acf700/acf700.cgi). This page contains a password-protected web-based form that checks the data for compliance with data standards at the time of submission. These built-in edit-checking features make it easier for Tribes to identify and correct errors. Use of the paperless Internet data entry site streamlines submission processing and improves data quality.
	The submission web page requires a login and password. Some Tribes have already designated individuals to access the ACF-700 Data Submission Center. The login and password carry over to each new reporting period, so there is no need to register each year to use the submission site.
	To register new staff or otherwise modify registration information, submit the ACF-700 Internet Registration form (found in the back of the attached ACF-700 Help Guide) by mail or fax to:
	Child Care Automation Resource Center 2600 Tower Oaks Blvd., Suite 600 Rockville, MD 20852 Fax: 301-692-0700
	CCARC will contact the staff identified on the form to provide further instructions and guidance. To renew the login or password, the Tribal Lead Agency may contact CCARC at their toll-free number: 1-877-249-9117, weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m, (Eastern Time), or by email at ccarc@childcaredata.org.
	Alternate Electronic Submission of the ACF-700 Form and Supplemental Narrative Report: Tribal Lead Agencies may submit an electronic copy of the ACF-700 form and the Supplemental Narrative using compatible electronic media, such as email or a disk. The ACF-700 form is in Excel® 5.0 format and can easily be transmitted as an attachment to an email message. Tribes also can submit the Supplemental Narrative report by attaching an electronic Word® or text file to an email. (An electronic version of ACF-700 is available on the Child Care Bureau’s website at www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccb. ACF Regional Offices can also email a blank version of the ACF-700 form, if requested. Diskettes also are available from the ACF Regional Offices.) Both the ACF-700 form and the Supplemental Narrative should be sent to the ACF Regional Office with a copy to CCARC at ccarc@childcaredata.org.
	Mailed Submissions: A Tribal Lead Agency without access to the Internet or email may submit its Annual Report (both the ACF-700 form and the Supplemental Narrative) on paper through the mail. The original should be mailed to the ACF Regional Office (see contact information in attached Guide) and a copy should be sent to CCARC at the following address: Child Care Automation Resource Center 2600 Tower Oaks Boulevard, Suite 600 Rockville, Maryland 20852 Fax: 301-692-0700 Faxes are acceptable only if followed by a paper copy sent through the mail.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE:	CCARC was established by the Child Care Bureau to provide technical assistance related to the grantee reporting requirements. Assistance related to the submission of the ACF-700 also is available on the Internet at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccb/report/ formhelp/acf700/helpdocs/context.htm. CCARC Technical Assistance Specialists can answer questions and provide guidance in preparation of the program information and submission of the ACF-700 report. CCARC can be reached toll-free at 1-877-249-9117 weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time).
REPORTING PROBLEMS OR POLICY QUESTIONS:	Tribal Lead Agencies anticipating problems in complying with the reporting requirements should contact the ACF Regional Office. Tribes should also contact the Regional Office for policy questions. Contact information for ACF Regional Offices is included in the ACF-700 Help Guide.
REPORTING BURDEN:	The public reporting burden for collecting the information in this Annual Report is estimated to average 35 hours per response. This estimate includes the time for reviewing the instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the reporting form. Comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this information collection, including suggestions for reducing this burden, should be sent to the Child Care Bureau, 1250 Maryland Avenue, SW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20024; and to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), 725 17th Street, NW , Washington , DC 20503.
PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT:	An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The information collection required under this Program Instruction is approved under OMB Number 0980-0241, which expires December 31, 2007.
	Your help in providing timely and accurate data about the valuable child care services you provide children and families in your Tribe or Tribal organization through the CCDF is important. These data help to document the work that you do and are essential for demonstrating the accomplishments of Tribal child care programs.
	/s/ _________________________ Sidonie Squier Director Office of Family Assistance

ATTACHMENTS:

Form ACF-700
Tribal Annual Report: Guide for CCDF Tribal Lead Agencies
Child Care Bureau Regional Program Managers List

Index: CCDF-ACF-PI-06-02 | ACF-700 Form | Tribal Annual Report: Guide for CCDF Tribal Lead Agencies