96-31702. Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 241 (Friday, December 13, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65579-65580]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-31702]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Proposed Projects

    Title: Collection of Child Welfare Data Under the Voluntary 
Cooperative Information System (VCIS).
    OMB No.: 0970-0129.
    Description: The objective of VCIS is to provide current data on 
the characteristics of children in, and the flow of children through, 
State foster care and adoption systems. These data also are utilized to 
identify State and national trends for the types of children in care, 
the settings in which children receive care, and the outcomes of 
substitute care episodes.
    The VCIS data are used to respond to requests for current data on 
children in foster care as well as those awaiting adoption and recently 
adopted. These data are also used for preparing Congressional testimony 
and reports, proposing policy and legislative changes, determining 
foster care and adoption trends and projections, and making budget 
forecasts. In addition, the VCIS data are made available to researchers 
and evaluators as well as the media. These data also appeared in the 
1996 Green Book, which contains background material and data on 
programs within the jurisdiction of the Congressional Committee on Ways 
and Means.
    Respondents: State Governments, Guam, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico 
and District of Columbia.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates                                            
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                                                                  Number of      Average burden                 
                 Instrument                      Number of      responses per      hours per       Total burden 
                                                respondents       respondent        response          hours     
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VCIS survey.................................              54                1              3.0              162 
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Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 162                                                                        

    In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(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 
Information Services, Division of Information Resource Management 
Services, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447, Attn: ACF 
Reports Clearance Officer. 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

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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: December 9, 1996.
Douglas J. Godesky.
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 96-31702 Filed 12-12-96; 8:45 am]
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