[Federal Register: October 14, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 198)]
[Notices]               
[Page 59188-59189]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14oc03-71]                         

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

 
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Title: Evaluation of the Early Head Start Fatherhood Demonstration.
    OMB No.: 0970-0239.
    Description: The Administration on Children, Youth and Families 
(ACYF), in partnership with the Office of Child Support Enforcement 
(OCSE), funded 21 Early Head Start grantees in 2001 to develop and 
implement creative practices to increase the involvement of fathers in 
their Early Head Start program and in the lives of their children. ACYF 
subsequently commissioned a study to identify promising practices 
emerging through the first two years of the demonstration. The study 
involved site visits to participating programs, a survey of 
demonstration staff, and collection of father participation data from 
the demonstration programs. ACYF recently commissioned a follow-up 
study to investigate programs' efforts to sustain meaningful fatherhood 
initiatives after the demonstration grant funding ends. This submission 
requests approval to conduct site visits to a subset of approximately 9 
programs as well as a second survey of staff and collection of father 
participation data from all 21 demonstration programs.
    Respondents: To reduce the burden on demonstration staff, the 
survey will be configured in four versions. The Director Version will 
be completed by the Early Head Start program directors. The Father 
coordinator Version will be completed by the staff member responsible 
for father activities. The Family Specialist Version will be completed 
by the staff member who works most closely with the Early Head Start 
families in the home. The Teacher Version will be completed by the 
staff member working with families of children participating in the 
Early Head Start child care programs. Program staff will also be asked 
to submit data on participating fathers. For each child enrolled in the 
Early Head Start program, the site will be asked to complete a short 
``Father/Father Figure Information Form.'' To avoid duplication of 
individual-level data, the programs are requested to provide extracts 
of information on the children and fathers in the program from their 
current management information systems whenever possible. The staff 
survey and father data instruments will be the same as those used in 
the Phase I study under the current OMB clearance no. 0970-0239. Site 
visit protocols used in the Phase I evaluation will also modified and 
shortened to address only those issues that are relevant to the 
research questions proposed in Phase II, focusing primarily on changes 
in program practices and new strategies for sustaining fatherhood 
initiatives.
    Respondents: Early Head Start directors, fatherhood program 
coordinators, family specialists, teachers, and fathers and mothers of 
Early Head Start children.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of    Average burden
                   Instrument                        Number of     responses per     hours per     Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent       response          hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Site Visit Interviews and Focus Groups..........             243               1             1.0           243.0
Director Version of Survey......................              19               1              .5             9.5
Father Coordinator Version of Survey............              19               1              .5             9.5
Family Specialist Version of Survey.............              19               1              .4             7.6
Teacher Version of Survey.......................              17               1              .4             6.8
Father/Father Figure Information Forms..........              21          \1\ 81             .16           272.1
                                                 -----------------
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours.........  ..............  ..............  ..............          548.5
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Average number per site.


[[Page 59189]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: copies of the proposed collection may be 
obtained by writing to the Administration for children and Families, 
Office of Administration, Office of Information Services, 370 L'Enfant 
promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447, ACF Reports Clearance Officer. 
All requests should be identified by the title of the information collection. E-mail address: rsargis@acf.hhs.gov.
    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, Attn: Desk Officer for ACF, E-mail addresses: lauren-wittenberg@omb.eop.gov.

    Dated: October 6, 2003.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 03-25886 Filed 10-10-03; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4184-01-M