[Federal Register: August 20, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 160)]
[Notices]               
[Page 46490-46491]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20au07-71]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

 
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Title: Case Plan Requirement, Section 422, 471(a)(16), 475(1) and 
475(5)(A) of the Social Security Act.
    OMB No.: 0980-0140.
    Description: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is 
requesting authority to renew an existing information collection that 
is expiring October 31, 2007. The collection of information for the 
case plan requirement is authorized by titles IV-B, Section 422 (42 
U.S.C. 422), and IV-E, Sections 471 and 475 (42 U.S.C. 471 and 475) of 
the Social Security Act (the Act). States must develop State plans for 
both titles IV-B and IV-E that are approved by the Secretary, U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services. Both plans require that States 
maintain a case review system that periodically reviews case plans 
developed for each child receiving services under the Act.
    Title IV-B provides for child welfare services funding and title 
IV-E provides for foster care maintenance payments for eligible 
children. Sections 422(b)(2) and (8)(A)(ii) of the Act require States 
to coordinate services and assistance under Federal programs, including 
titles IV-B and IV-E, and to ensure that States are operating a case 
review system that meets the requirements of section 475(5) of the Act.
    Title IV-E funding, Section 471(a) of the Act, requires that State 
plans provide for the development of a case plan for each child 
receiving foster care maintenance payments and provide for a case 
review system that meets the requirements described in section 
475(5)(B) of the Act with respect to each child.
    The case plan is a written document that provides a narrative 
description of the child-specific program of care that addresses the 
needs of each child

[[Page 46491]]

regarding safety, permanency and well-being. Federal regulations at 45 
CFR 1356.21(g) and section 475(1) of the Act delineate the specific 
information that should be addressed in the case plan. ACF neither 
specifies a recordkeeping format for the case plan nor requires 
submission of the case plan to the Federal Government. Case plan 
information is recorded in a format developed and maintained by State 
child welfare agencies. Case plans are periodically reviewed under the 
purview of State case review systems.
    In computing the number of burden hours for this information 
collection, ACF based the annual burden estimates on States' 
experiences in developing case plans.
    Respondents: State title IV-B and title IV-E Agencies.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  Number of      Average burden
                 Instrument                      Number of      responses per      hours per       Total burden
                                                respondents       respondent        response          hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Case Plan...................................         638,735                1              4.0        2,554,940
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,554,940.

Additional Information

    Copies of the proposed collection may be obtained by writing to the 
Administration for Children and Families, Office of Administration, 
Office of Information Services, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., 
Washington, DC 20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer. All requests 
should be identified by the title of the information collection. E-mail 
address: infocollection@acf.hhs.gov.

OMB Comment

    OMB is required to make a decision concerning the collection of 
information between 30 and 60 days after publication of this document 
in the Federal Register. Therefore, a comment is best assured of having 
its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication. 
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent directly to the following: Office of 
Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project, Fax: 202-395-6974, 
Attn: Desk Officer for the Administration for Children and Families.

    Dated: August 14, 2007.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 07-4045 Filed 8-17-07; 8:45 am]

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