Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request, 2869 [2016-00840]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
• Administration for Children and Families

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 11 (Tuesday, January 19, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 2869]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-00840]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Proposed Projects

    Title: Child Care and Development Fund Plan for Tribes for FFY 
2017-2019 (ACF-118-A).
    OMB No.: 0970-0198.
    Description: The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Plan (the 
Plan) for Tribes is required from each CCDF Lead Agency in accordance 
with Section 658E of the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) 
Act, as amended, by Public Law 113-186 and U.S.C. 9858. The Plan 
provides ACF and the public with a description of, and assurances 
about, the Tribes' child care programs.
    On November 19, 2014, the President signed the CCDBG Act of 2014 
into law. The law (Pub. L. 113-186) made significant changes to the 
CCDF Program to protect the health and safety of children in child 
care, promote continuity of access to subsidy for low-income families, 
better inform parents and the general public about the child care 
choices available to them, and improve the overall quality of early 
learning and afterschool programs. The Act does not indicate the extent 
to which CCDF provisions apply to Tribes. Starting in early 2015, OCC 
began a series of formal consultations with Tribal leaders to determine 
how the provisions in newly reauthorized child care law would apply to 
Tribes and Tribal organizations. The Notice of Proposed Rule Making for 
the CCDF program was issued on December 24, 2015 for public comment. 
Pending the issuance of new CCDF regulations and guidance for Tribes, 
Tribes will follow the current CCDF regulations.
    OCC issued a Program Instruction to notify Tribes that OCC will be 
extending the approved FY 2014-2015 Tribal Plans for one year. Also, 
please note that the CCDBG Act changed the Plan cycle for all CCDF 
Plans from a 2 year to a 3 year plan period. The new deadline for FY 
2017-2019 Plan submission is July 1, 2016.
    The revised Plan (ACF-118A) has been organized into the following 
seven critical areas:
     Define CCDF Leadership and Coordination with Relevant 
systems.
     Provide Stable Child Care Financial Assistance to 
Families.
     Ensure Equal Access to high Quality Child Care for Low-
Income Children.
     Ensuring the Health and Safety of Children in Child Care 
Settings.
     Supporting Continuous Quality Improvement.
     Program Integrity and Accountability.
     Tribal CCDF Funding.
    Section 8, an Optional Abbreviated Plan for Tribes Receiving Small 
Allocations was added for Tribes or Tribal consortia whose annual CCDF 
allocation is less than $250,000. Small Tribes that select this option 
are not required to complete Sections 1-7 of the Plan preprint.
    In making the revisions, consideration was given to minimize the 
burden of the collection of information on respondents.

Respondents

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
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                                                                  Number of     Average  burden
                 Instrument                      Number of      responses  per     hours  per      Total burden
                                                respondents       respondent        response          hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CCDF Print..................................             257             0.50              120           15,420
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    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours:
    In compliance with the requirements of Section 506(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 
Planning, Research and Evaluation, 330 C Street SW., Washington DC 
20201. Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer. Email address: 
infocollection@acf.hhs.gov. 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 
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.

Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-00840 Filed 1-15-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4184-01-P