2020-20266. Submission for OMB Review; Assessing Models of Coordinated Services for Low-Income Children and Their Families (AMCS) (0970-0535)

AGENCY:

Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation; Administration for Children and Families; Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION:

Request for public comment.

SUMMARY:

The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is requesting an extension to continue collecting data for the study, Assessing Models of Coordinated Services for Low-Income Children and Their Families (AMCS). Data collection has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will not be complete by the current expiration date of October 31, 2020. There are no changes proposed to the current instruments.

DATES:

Comments due within 30 days of publication. OMB must make a decision about 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.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Description: Through AMCS, ACF seeks to learn more about how states and communities coordinate early care and education, family economic security, and/or other health and human services to most efficiently and effectively serve the needs of low-income children and their families. ACF aims to understand strategies used to support partnerships, including the federal barriers to agency collaboration. In support of achieving these goals, the study team is conducting “virtual site visits” with six programs that offer coordinated services. The study team will gather information through interviews with program staff members, such as agency leaders or frontline staff, and focus groups with parents.

Data collection activities will include up to six program “virtual site visits.” “Virtual site visits” include semi-structured interviews with up to 30 total staff at each site and focus groups with 8-10 parents at each site. Semi-structured interviews with program and partner staff will obtain in-depth information about the goals and objectives of programs, the services provided, how the coordinated services are implemented, how staffing is managed, data use, and any facilitators and barriers to coordination. Focus groups with parents participating in the program will provide the opportunity to learn about how parents perceive the program; how it meets their needs; what benefits they gain from the program; and how they enroll, participate, and progress through the program.

Respondents: Lead program and partner program staff members working in six programs across the United States that coordinate early care and education services with family economic security services and/or other health and human services, as well as parents receiving services from these programs. Staff respondents will be selected with the goal of having staff represent each level of the organization. Parents who have participated in the program for at least 6 months and who receive early childhood services and at least one other program service will be invited to participate in focus groups.

Annual Burden Estimates

Instrument	Total/annual number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Average burden hours per response	Annual burden hours
Master Virtual Site Visit Interview Protocol	180	1	2	360
Parent Virtual Focus Group Protocol	60	1	1	60

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 420.

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 9858(a)(5).

John M. Sweet, Jr.,

ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.