2023-00712. Proposed Information Collection Activity; Home-Based Child Care Practices and Experiences Study (New Collection)

AGENCY:

Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

ACTION:

Request for public comments.

SUMMARY:

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) is proposing a new primary data collection to examine the experiences, strengths, resources, and strategies used by home-based child care providers to serve and support equitable outcomes for children and families. The Home-Based Child Care Practices and Experiences study will explore the experiences of a particular group of home-based child care providers who are legally exempt from state licensing or other state regulations that apply to non-custodial care of children in the provider's own home; these providers are commonly referred to as family, friend, and neighbor providers.

DATES:

Comments due within 60 days of publication. In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ACF is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the information collection described above.

ADDRESSES:

You can obtain copies of the proposed collection of information and submit comments by emailing [e-mail]. Identify all requests by the title of the information collection.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Description: The study will use semi-ethnographic, open-ended methods (including semi-structured interviews, and photo and audio journals) to generate rich information about the experiences of study respondents. The study will be conducted in four sites across the United States and will involve one round of data collection. Data collection will be conducted virtually and is planned to occur over a 5-month period. The study results are intended to inform future research and federal programs by contributing rich data on the ways family, friend, and neighbor providers think about and enact quality for children and families. The study will address substantial gaps in the existing evidence around “why” and “how” family, friend, and neighbor providers care for and educate children, and it will provide the foundation for future research on home-based child care. Study findings can also inform efforts to better align quality improvement efforts with the aspects of quality that providers and families find the most important in these settings.

Respondents: Family, friend, and neighbor child care providers, family members of the children cared for by the providers, and community members who support the providers.

Annual Burden Estimates

Instrument	Number of respondents (total over request period)	Number of responses per respondent (total over request period)	Average burden per response (in hours)	Total/annual burden (in hours)
1. Provider screener	120	1	0.33	40
2. Provider interview #1	60	1	1.5	90
3. Provider logistics call	60	1	1	60
4. Provider photo journals	60	8	0.10	48
5. Provider audio journals	60	8	0.15	72
6. Provider interview #2	60	1	1.5	90
7. Family member interview	120	1	1	120
8. Community member interview	60	1	0.5	30
9. Provider feedback focus group	20	1	1	20

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 570.

Comments: 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.

Authority:42 U.S.C. 9858.

John M. Sweet Jr.,

ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.