[Federal Register: May 8, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 88)]
[Notices]
[Page 21689-21690]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08my09-85]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request
Proposed Projects
Title: Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Review and Child and
Family Service Reviews; Final Rule.
OMB No.: 0970-0214.
Description: The following five separate activities are associated
with this information collection: Foster Care Eligibility Review (FCER)
Program Improvement Plan; Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSR)
State agency
[[Page 21690]]
Statewide Assessment; CFSR On-site Review; CFSR Program Improvement
Plan; and Anti-Discrimination Enforcement Corrective Action Plan. The
collection of information for review of Federal payments to States for
foster care maintenance payments (45 CFR 1356.71(i)) is authorized by
title IV-E of the Social Security Act (the Act), section 474 [42 U.S.C.
674]. The Foster Care Eligibility Reviews (FCER) ensure that States
claim title IV-E funds only on behalf of title IV-E eligible children.
The collection of information for review of State child and family
services programs (45 CFR 1355.33(b), 1355.33(c) and 1355.35(a)) is to
determine whether such programs are in substantial conformity with
State plan requirements under parts B and E of the Act and is
authorized by section 1123(a) [42 U.S.C 1320a-1a] of the Act. The CFSR
looks at the outcomes related to safety, permanency and well-being of
children served by the child welfare system and at seven systemic
factors that support the outcomes. Section 474(d) of the Act [42 U.S.C
674] deploys enforcement provisions (45 CFR 1355.38(b) and (c)) for the
requirements at section 4371(a)(18) [42 U.S.C 671], which prohibit the
delay or denial of foster and adoptive placements based on the race,
color, or national origin of any of the individuals involved. The
enforcement provisions include the execution and completion of
corrective action plans when a State is in violation of section
471(a)(18) of the Act. The information collection is needed: (1) To
ensure compliance with title IV-E foster care eligibility requirements;
(2) to monitor State plan requirements under titles IV-B and IV-E of
the Act, as required by Federal statute; and (3) to enforce the title
IV-E anti-discrimination requirements through State corrective action
plans. The resultant information will allow ACF to determine if States
are in compliance with State plan requirements and are achieving
desired outcomes for children and families, help ensure that claims by
States for title IV-E funds are made only on behalf of title IV-E
eligible children, and require States to revise applicable statutes,
rules, policies and procedures, and provide proper training to staff,
through the development and implementation of corrective action plans.
These reviews not only address compliance with eligibility requirements
but also assist States in enhancing the capacities to serve children
and families. In computing the number of burden hours for this
information collection, ACF based the annual burden estimates on ACF's
and States' experiences in conducting reviews and developing program
improvement 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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
45 CFR 1356.7 (i) Program Improvement Plan 7 1 90 630
(FCER).........................................
45 CFR 1366.33 (b) Statewide Assessment (CFSR).. 13 1 240 3,120
45 CFR 1355.33 (c) On-site Review (CFSR)........ 13 1 1,170 15,210
45 CFR 1355.35 (a) Program Improvement Plan 13 1 240 3,120
(CFSR).........................................
45 CFR 1355.38 (b) and (c) Corrective Action.... 1 1 780 780
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 22,860
In compliance with the requirements of Section 506(c)(2)(A) of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Administration for Children and
Families is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the
information collection described above. Copies of the proposed
collection of information can be obtained and comments may be forwarded
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. E-mail
address: infocollection@acf.hhs.gov. All requests should be identified
by the title of the information collection.
The Department specifically requests comments on: (a) Whether the
proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the
information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of
information; (c) the quality, utility, and clarity of the information
to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection
of information on respondents, including through the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
Consideration will be given to comments and suggestions submitted
within 60 days of this publication.
Dated: May 5, 2009.
Janean Chambers,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-10703 Filed 5-7-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-P