[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 208 (Friday, October 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55305-55306]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-27462]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
Notice of Proposed Change in Data Source Used To Determine Tribal
Child Counts; Request for Comments on Proposed Approach and Process
AGENCY: Administration on Children Youth and Families, ACF, DHHS.
ACTION: Notice of proposed change in data source used to determine
tribal child counts; request for comments on proposed approach and
process.
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SUMMARY: This Notice announces the Proposed Self-Certification Process
for Tribal Child Counts Used to Calculate Tribal Allotments Under the
Child Care and Development Block Grant. The purpose of utilizing a
self-certification process for tribal grantees is to assist the Agency
in fulfilling its Congressional mandate to serve low-income children
under the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). To ensure
accuracy in determining tribal allotments under the CCDBG, ACF is
proposing a new strategy of self-reporting, instead of continuing its
current practice of using data reported in the Bureau of Indian Affairs
(BIA) ``Indian Service Population and Labor Force Estimates Report.''
DATES: The Department invites comments on this proposed data collection
method, particularly on whether a self-certification process will
result in accurate and timely information reflecting current child
count data. Written comments must be submitted on or before November
25, 1996.
ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to: Administration on Children
and Families, Child Care Bureau, Room 320-F, 200 Independence Avenue,
S.W.,Washington, D.C. 20201.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ginny Gorman, Administration on
Children and Families, Child Care Bureau, Room 320-F, 200 Independence
Avenue, S.W.,Washington, D.C. 20201.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction and Purpose
The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) provides funding
to States, Territories and Federally-recognized Tribes to provide
services to children from low-income families who need child care
either because a parent is working or attending a training or
educational program or because the family is receiving or needs to
receive protective services.
The CCDBG statute requires the Secretary to obtain the most recent
data and information necessary, from each appropriate Federal agency,
to determine state funding allotments. There is no similar statutory
requirement for determining tribal allotments.
The Final Rule implementing the CCDBG program stated that the BIA
Indian Service Population and Labor Force Estimates Report, published
biennially, was determined to be the most suitable, available data
source for CCDBG purposes. However, problems have developed in its use.
Due to cutbacks in BIA personnel, this Report has not been published on
schedule. The fiscal year (FY) 1996 CCDBG tribal allotments will be
based on 1993 data since the scheduled 1995 Report has not yet been
published.
In addition, the BIA Report is limited because it does not include
Alaska-specific data. Consequently, ACF uses Census data to determine
CCDBG allotments for Alaskan grantees. Thus, for purposes of CCDBG
allocations, child count data are currently collected from two separate
data sources which do not match in the timing of available data or
types of information collected.
In order to continue to provide for the best available data source
to determine the number of children eligible to receive CCDBG funds in
each tribe or tribal consortia, ACF has again reviewed potential data
sources.
After a thorough review of the available data options, ACF has
determined that it would be in the best interest of the tribes, as well
as ACF, to utilize a self-certification process since it would afford
tribes the opportunity to select a data source, or utilize a method for
counting tribal children, which most accurately reflects its child
population.
Further, through a tribal self-certification process, the child
count data will be available with minimal lag time and will more
accurately reflect the natural fluctuations in child population. With
current sources, it can take 2 to 3 years for changes in population
(such as reaching a child population of 50) to be reflected in the data
source.
This approach supports the President's April 29, 1994, mandate to
Federal agencies which reaffirms the government-to-government
relationship and directs agencies to design solutions and tailor
Federal programs, in appropriate circumstances, to address specific or
unique needs of tribal communities.
Proposed Process for Self-Certification
ACF intends to include a new section in the FY 1997 Program
Instruction for tribal CCDBG applicants which describes the process for
tribes to follow
[[Page 55306]]
in submitting their self-certified child counts. Each tribal grantee
and each tribe participating in a consortium will be required to submit
a declaration signed by the governing body of the tribe or an
individual authorized to act for the applicant tribe or organization.
The declaration must certify the number of Indian children, as defined
in section 3.7(#10) of the CCDBG plan preprint, in the tribe's most
recent count, under age 16, who reside on or near the reservation or
other tribal service area.
The declaration must be submitted as part of the grantee's
application. Each tribe, participating in a consortium, must submit
such a declaration to the consortium, who in turn must submit all such
declarations as an attachment to the consortium's application.
Tribes are not obligated to conduct a special count to obtain this
number for FY 1997 funding. Tribes may submit their most recent child
count of such children. A tribe may choose to conduct a special count;
however, it must be completed by July 1 of the funding year, and the
child count submitted with the CCDBG application on July 1.
It must be noted that CCDBG continues to serve children under age
13. However, for the FY 1997 allocation of funds, ACF intends to allow
children under age 16 to be counted in order to give flexibility in the
type of data sources tribes may utilize (e.g., the most recent BIA
Report). This will allow tribes who do not choose to conduct a separate
count to use existing data sources. If an application is submitted
without a child count declaration, ACF will calculate the grantee's FY
1997 grant award using the same number of children used to determine
the FY 1996 grant award. Beginning in FY 1998, Tribal child counts
declarations will include children under age 13, in conformance with
the CCDBG statute.
Dated: October 22, 1996.
James A. Harrell,
Deputy Commissioner, Administration on Children, Youth and Families.
[FR Doc. 96-27462 Filed 10-24-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-P
