Information Memorandum --Tribal Data Tracker software |
Index: ACYF-IM-CC-01-04 | (Collection available in Word and PDF) |
Related Items: ACF Regional Administrators | Tribal Child Care Data Tracker User's Guide | Tribal Child Care Data Tracker Tutorial | Tribal Child Care Data Tracker Software |
Information Memorandum ACYF-IM-CC-01-04 |
ACF |
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES |
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1. Log No: ACYF-IM-CC-01-04 |
2. Issuance Date: October 23, 2001 |
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3. Originating Office: Child Care Bureau |
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4. Key Words: Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF); ACF-700 Tribal Data Report; Tribal Data Tracker Software |
To: |
Tribal Lead Agencies administering child care programs under the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 1990, as amended, and other interested parties. |
Subject: | Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Data Reporting for Tribal Lead Agencies (ACF-700 Report Form) |
References: | The Child Care and Development Block
Grant (CCDBG) Act of 1990, as amended. 45 CFR 98.70(c). |
Purpose: |
This Information Memorandum transmits the following materials that will assist Tribal Lead Agencies with data collection necessary for the required ACF-700 tribal aggregate data report:
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Background: | Tribal aggregate information on services
provided through the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is
required annually on the ACF-700 report form. Each Fall the Child
Care Bureau transmits a Program Instruction to Tribal Lead Agencies
that provides instructions for completing the ACF-700 report. Over the last few years the Child Care Bureau has been working with grantees to design technical assistance strategies that meet the specific data reporting needs of States, Territories and Tribes. One of our first steps for Tribes was to develop an internet-based system that allows Tribes to submit their ACF-700 program data electronically over the Internet. A number of Tribal Lead Agencies now use this internet-based reporting system to submit their ACF-700 program report data. Last year the Child Care Bureau, in partnership with the Child Care Automation Resource Center (CCARC), established a Tribal Data Software Technical Assistance Group to assist the Bureau in developing a software package that would help Tribes with Federal reporting (i.e., ACF-700 report form) and some case-management functions. This workgroup was comprised of tribal CCDF directors and technology/data specialists from across the country. Workgroup members provided important contributions related to the overall design and data fields necessary to accommodate differing tribal child care program sizes and services provided by tribal CCDF grantees nationwide. The Child Care Bureau introduced this new software package, the "Tribal Data Tracker" at the Opening Plenary Session of the 2001 National American Indian/Alaska Native Child Care Conference in April 2001 in Kansas City, Missouri. Workshop sessions were repeated throughout the Conference to provide an overview of this new data tool. Since these workshop sessions only provided a cursory view of the Tribal Data Tracker, a full day training session "Using the Tribal Data Tracker" has been offered at the 2001 Tribal Cluster Trainings at locations across the country. |
Tribal Data Tracker Functions: | The Tribal Data Software Technical
Assistance Group provided valuable input to the Child Care Bureau
by identifying a number of functions that would assist Tribal
Lead Agencies with their federal reporting and case management
or client information needs. The Tribal Data Tracker will assist
Tribal Lead Agencies with:
Completion of the ACF-700 Report Form By entering basic information in required data fields during the course of the federal fiscal year, the Tribal Data Tracker will produce a completed ACF-700 tribal CCDF aggregate program data report (ACF-700 report form) for that fiscal year. Therefore, if a Tribal Lead Agency enters the requested information on each child and family that it serves with CCDF funds, a completed ACF-700 report can be printed simply by pressing a button from the appropriate Tribal Data Tracker screen. Case Management/Client Information Functions The Tribal Data Tracker has a number of useful features that will assist Tribal Lead Agencies with case management functions. For example, by entering requested information, the Tribal Data Tracker will conduct the following functions:
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Who Should use the Tribal Data Tracker? |
The Tribal Data Tracker was developed particularly for those Tribal Lead Agencies that still record case management information on paper and for those Tribal Lead Agencies that would like to have their casemanagement software tailored to the CCDF program data reporting requirements.
The Tribal Data Tracker was developed under a government contract (Contract GS-35F-4357D/SA-00-0568) and, therefore, is in the public domain. It is available at no charge to CCDF Tribal Lead Agencies. PLEASE NOTE: Tribal Lead Agencies are not required to use the Tribal Data Tracker software for their child care reporting and case management functions. We recognize that a number of Tribal Lead Agencies already use commercial software packages, or have developed their own databases to track family and provider information. |
Which Version Should I Use? | Tribal Lead Agency representatives
that attended either: 1) a tribal data workshop at the 2001 National
American Indian/Alaska Native Child Care Conference in Kansas
City, Missouri; or 2) one of the 2001 Tribal Cluster Trainings
should have received a Tribal Data Tracker CD
and a Tribal Child Care Data Tracker User's Guide - - Version
1.0 (April 2001). Some Tribal Cluster Training participants may
also have received a Tribal Data Tracker
Tutorial CD.
The attached Tribal Data Tracker CD and Tutorial CD are identical to the versions that you may have previously received. We are distributing CDs again at this time to ensure that all Tribal Lead Agencies have copies, regardless of whether they attended the meetings where copies were previously distributed. Attendees at the meetings referenced above may have received an earlier version of the User's Guide (dated April 2001). Please note, however, that the attached Tribal Child Care Data Tracker User's Guide (i.e., the hard copy manual/handbook) has been updated as of September 2001. Therefore, please discard any prior copy you may have and replace it with the attached Tribal Child Care Data Tracker User's Guide - - Version 1.0 (September 2001). |
Set-Up Insteuctions and Technical Assistance |
The Tribal Data Tracker was designed to be installed on personal computers and requires minimal hardware and software support. The minimum and recommended system requirements are explained on page 1 of the attached Tribal Child Care Data Tracker User's Guide - -Version 1.0 (September 2001). The Child Care Bureau has established a Child Care Automation Resource Center (CCARC) to provide information systems technical assistance. CCARC has liaisons with information systems background who can answer questions and provide technical assistance in using the Tribal Data Tracker. CCARC can be reached toll-free at 1-877-249-9117 weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). |
Questions: | Questions related to the Tribal Data Tracker should be directed to CCARC at 1-877-249-9117. All other questions related to tribal program data reporting on the ACF-700 report form should be directed to the appropriate ACF Regional Office. |
For several years Tribal Lead Agencies
have urged us to design a software package that would assist them
with program data reporting (ACF-700 Report Form). In response
to these requests we have developed the Tribal Data Tracker specifically
to assist Tribes with data collection efforts. Whether you use
the Tribal Data Tracker or an alternate software package, it is
every Tribal Lead Agency's responsibility to ensure that this
important child care program data is collected and reported to
the Child Care Bureau each year. Tribal Lead Agencies are reminded
that if they do not submit a complete ACF-700 report form each
year they will not be in compliance with the CCDF regulations
at 45 CFR 98.70(c).
Tribal data reports help us to document the work that our tribal child care grantees do everyday and is essential for demonstrating the accomplishments of tribal child care programs in reports to the Secretary and to the Congress. Please assist us in presenting an accurate portrayal of the tribal child care story across the country by collecting and submitting the ACF-700 Report Form each year. |
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James Harrell Acting Commissioner Administration on Children, Youth and Families |
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ATTACHMENTS:
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Index: ACYF-IM-CC-01-04 | (Collection available in Word and PDF) |
Related Items: ACF Regional Administrators | Tribal Child Care Data Tracker User's Guide | Tribal Child Care Data Tracker Tutorial | Tribal Child Care Data Tracker Software |