2018-25548. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Title: Phase II Evaluation Activities for Implementing a Next Generation Evaluation Agenda for the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program—Extension

OMB No.: 0970-0489.

Description: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Planning Research and Evaluation (OPRE) is proposing an extension of a currently approved information collection (OMB no. 1970-0489). The information collection activities are part of the Phase II Evaluation Activities for Implementing a Next Generation Evaluation Agenda for the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program (now known as the Chafee Foster Care Program for the Successful Transition to Adulthood). The purpose of the extension is to continue the ongoing information collection, which consists of site visits by staff from the Urban Institute and Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago to conduct formative evaluations of programs serving transition-age foster youth. The evaluations include preliminary visits to discuss the evaluation process with program administrators and site visits to each program to speak with program leaders, partners and key stakeholders, front-line staff, and participants. These formative evaluations will determine programs' readiness for more rigorous evaluation in the future. The activities and products from this project will help ACF to fulfill the ongoing legislative mandate for program evaluation specified in the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999.

Respondents: Semi-structured interviews will be held with program leaders, partners and stakeholders, and front-line staff as well as young adults being served by the programs.

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
Outreach email for discussion with program administrators and staff	16	8	1	8	64
Outreach email for Focus Group Recruiters	12	6	1	8	48
Discussion Guide for program leaders	48	24	4	1	96
Discussion Guide for program partners and stakeholders	60	30	2	1	60
Discussion Guide for program front-line staff	104	52	1	1	52
Focus Group Guide for program participants	160	80	1	2	160
Compilation and Submission of Administrative Data Files	48	24	2	12	576

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,056.

Additional Information: Copies of the proposed collection may 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 should be identified by the title of the information collection. Email address: [e-mail].

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, Email: [e-mail], Attn: Desk Officer for the Administration for Children and Families.

Mary B. Jones,

ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.