2019-21452. Proposed Information Collection Activity; Formative Evaluation of Family Unification Program (FUP) Vouchers for Youth Transitioning Out of Foster Care (New Collection)

AGENCY:

Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation; Administration for Children and Families; HHS.

ACTION:

Request for public comment.

SUMMARY:

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation is requesting public comment on data collection activities as part of the Formative Evaluation of Family Unification Program (FUP) Vouchers for Youth Transitioning Out of Foster Care. The purpose of the request is to conduct information collection activities, including an online survey, interviews, and focus group discussions.

DATES:

Comments due within 60 days of publication. In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the information collection described above.

ADDRESSES:

Copies of the proposed collection of information can be obtained and comments may be forwarded by emailing [e-mail]. Alternatively, copies can also be obtained by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, 330 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20201, Attn: OPRE Reports Clearance Officer. All requests, emailed or written, should be identified by the title of the information collection.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Description: The ACF Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation is proposing a new information collection. The information collection activities are part of the Formative Evaluation of Family Unification Program (FUP) Vouchers for Youth Transitioning Out of Foster Care. The purpose of the request is to conduct information collection activities, which consist of an online survey of FUP liaisons from agencies and organizations serving transition-age youth in foster care and site visits to selected agencies and organizations that have allocated a significant number of FUP vouchers to youth. During site visits, staff from the Urban Institute and Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago will interview agency and program leaders, frontline staff, and participants. The information collection also includes collection of administrative data from sites selected for visits. This descriptive work will capture how FUP for youth has been administered on the ground, how eligible youth are identified and referred by the public child welfare agency (PCWA), barriers to obtaining a voucher or leasing-up into housing, what public housing authorities (PHAs) and public child welfare agencies have done to streamline the application process, and other aspects of program operations. The activities and products from this project will help ACF to fulfill its ongoing legislative mandate for program evaluation specified in the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999.

Respondents: PCWA and PHA agency administrators, program managers/FUP liaisons, front-line staff, and young adults being served by FUP.

Annual Burden Estimates

Instrument	Total number of respondents	Annual number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Average burden hours per response	Annual burden hours
PHA survey	111	56	1	0.62	35
PCWA survey	72	36	1	0.62	22
CoC survey	99	50	1	0.62	31
Interview guide for FSS manager	8	4	1	1	4
Interview guide for CoC lead organization administrator and FUP liaison	16	8	1	1	8
Focus group guide for PHA intake workers and case managers	192	96	1	1.5	144
Focus group guide for PCWA caseworkers, referring partners, and service provider partners	312	156	1	1.5	234
Interview guide for service provider FUP leads	7	4	1	1	4
Interview guide for PCWA administrator and FUP liaison	16	8	1	1	8
Interview guide for PHA administrator and FUP liaison	16	8	1	1	8
Focus group guide for youth	96	48	1	1.5	72
Administrative data list	24	12	1	5	60
Total					630

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 630.

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: Title IV-E of the Social Security Act, IV-E § 477(g)(1-2), as amended by the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999.

Mary B. Jones,

ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.