CCDF Submission of the Case-Level Report (ACF-801)

Program Instructions (ACYF-PI-CC-98-01)

ACF
Administration
for Children
and Families

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration on Children, Youth and Families

1. Log No: ACYF-PI-CC-98-01

2. Issuance Date: 1/22/1998

3. Originating Office: Child Care Bureau

4. Key Words: Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) - Submission of the Case-Level Report (ACF-801).

TO:

SUBJECT:

Child Care and Development Fund Case Level Reporting for States and Territories

REFERENCES:

The Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 as amended by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PL 104-193) and the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (PL 105-33). Information Memorandum Log No. ACYF-IM-CC-97-01 and ACYF-IM-CC-97-02.

PURPOSE:

To inform States and Territories of instructions for collection of case-level CCDF data (ACF-801). Forms, Instructions, and Sampling Specifications for the completion of these reports are attached.

BACKGROUND:

Case-level child care program information for the Child Care and Development Fund is required by Sec. 658K of the Child Care Development Block Grant Act as amended by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. This report collection has also been modified by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997.

IMPORTANT CHANGE REQUIRED BY OMB TO ACF-801 FORM:

DUE DATES FOR THE CASE LEVEL DISAGGREGATE REPORT:

The first case-level report (ACF-801) is due August 31, 1998.

Beginning April 1, 1998, the ACF-801 case-level data will be collected monthly and reported quarterly. The OMB-approved form and instructions are enclosed for the first case-level disaggregate data collection. The first case level report will cover the period of April 1, 1998 to June 30, 1998 . Following quarters will be reported 60 days after the end of each quarter.

ADDITIONAL
REQUIRED
INFORMATION

In addition to the report, the following information will need to be provided by States and Territories:

1) Information on Pooling (if applicable):

If you pool or include other funding, such as Title XX, State-only funds not used for MOE or Match, or other funds not used for match, in your Child Care and Development Fund, you need to report the percentage of funds that are CCDF funds. We will automatically calculate the percentage of each data element which is provided by CCDF funding and report that to Congress. (States on the Technical Advisory Group told the Bureau that it would be easier for States which pool to report on all families in the pool rather than having to break out the children served into different categories for Federal reporting purposes.)

2) Sampling Plan:

All States and Territories that submit a sample of their records must submit a sampling plan to the Regional Administrator for ACF approval, 60 days before the first reporting period. The first sampling plan is due by February 28, 1998. Instructions for sampling plans are provided in the attached Sampling Specifications. States that submit their entire caseload are not required to submit a sampling plan. Instead they should submit a statement indicating their intention to submit data for the entire population.

3) Submission Interval:

REPORTING BURDEN

The public reporting burden for collecting the information in this Case Level Disaggregate

Report is estimated to average 20 hours per report. 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, Humphrey Building - Room 300F, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201; and to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, D.C. 20503.

DATA USES:

CASE-LEVEL
REPORT SUBMISSION
STRATEGIES:

The case-level report must be submitted electronically to the Child Care Bureau either electronically -- Mainframe to Mainframe via CONNECT:Direct -- or via diskette.

Mainframe (Connect:Direct):

ACF has made arrangements with the Social Security Administration and the National Institutes of Health Computer Centers for them to serve as electronic file transfer HUBS for Connect:Direct data exchange between the 50 States and the District of Columbia. Connect:Direct offers an electronic data transmission vehicle to transmit the case-level data from each State to ACF. This method of transmission ensures that case indentifiers will remain secure in transmission to ACF. Contact the Child Care Automation Resource Center for information about the Connect:Direct contacts within your State.

Submission via Diskette:

States that can not transmit the ACF-801 report via CONNECT:Direct may submit the data via diskette. Please contact the Child Care Automation Resource Center (CCARC) at 1-877-249-9117 or CCARC@childcaredata.org for further instructions.

Notification:

Upon submission of the case-level report, the Child Care Bureau will automatically fax notification of submission to the State Lead Agency Administrator and the Regional Office.

Lead agencies anticipating problems in complying with the statutory reporting requirements should contact the department for technical assistance. Questions about this information memorandum should be directed to:

Case Level Reports: Reports Manager, (202) 690-6782, ccb@acf.hhs.gov