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This technical document provides guidance for ACF-801 reporting. Tables detailing definitions of each data element, data standards and guidance specific to each element are included to help States and Territories meet Federal reporting requirements. Prior technical bulletins and technical documents have been incorporated into this document, including the social security number guidance and the new ACF-801 Program Instruction and standards for the additional data element collection. (Also see Changes in ACF-801 Reporting in PowerPoint or as a text version below).
As of report period January 2002, a new data element will be included in ACF-801 data files. (Refer to ACYF-PI-CC-01-02: Revised ACF-801 Case-Level Reporting Form and Definitions). This new element is Element #16 (Number in Eligible Family). This element is needed to compute poverty levels of subsidized families and to compute High Performance Bonuses.
The ACF-801 file for report period January 2002 will be the first ACF-801 file requiring the new data element. The new element will be two digits placed at the end of the family record. The value must be greater than or equal to the number of children receiving services plus the head of the household. For most families, the smallest acceptable value is 2, the child and the caretaker. The only exception is when the child is considered the head of the household, or when Element #5 (Single Parent) = 9 (not applicable: child is reported as head of household).
The other recent clarification for ACF-801 data states that eligibility may not be denied because a parent chooses not to provide a SSN (Reference ACYF-PI-CC-00-04 Use of SSNs under CCDF and the Privacy Act of 1974 issued October 27, 2000). Therefore, Element #3 (Head of Household SSN) is not required. However, Element #2 (Unique State Identifier) must be included if Element #3 is not provided, and Element #2 must uniquely identify the family over time.
This requirement change for SSNs has changed some other data standards as well. There is no longer a consistency standard between Element #5 (Single Parent), Element #17 (Child SSN) and Element #3 (Head of Household SSN). The other consistency standard stating that if Element #5 (Single Parent) = 9, then Element #6 (Reason for Receiving Subsidy) must equal 4 (Protective Services) still applies. Element #17 (Child SSN) no longer has a consistency standard since social security numbers are not required.
Revised versions of Technical Bulletin 3 and Technical Bulletin 4 are now available to provide additional guidance on recent changes in reporting requirements.
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