Submission for OMB Review; Release of Unaccompanied Alien Children From ORR Custody (OMB #0970-0552), 921-927 [2024-00077]

Agencies

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

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 5 (Monday, January 8, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 921-927]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00077]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Submission for OMB Review; Release of Unaccompanied Alien 
Children From ORR Custody (OMB #0970-0552)

AGENCY: Office of Refugee Resettlement; Administration for Children and 
Families; Department of Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), Administration for 
Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services, is inviting public comments on revisions to an approved 
information collection. The request consists of several forms that 
allow the Unaccompanied Children (UC) Program to process release of 
unaccompanied children from ORR custody and provide services after 
release.

DATES: Comments due within 30 days of publication. Office of Management 
and Budget (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: ORR is proposing revisions to four forms (Forms R-1, 
R-2, R-4, and R-6), the addition of one new form (Form R-9), removal of 
one form (Form R-3), continued use of the current version of one form 
(Form R-6), and alternate versions of two forms (R-2 and R-4). See 
below for a detailed description of the proposed revisions for each 
instrument.

Verification of Release (Form R-1)

    There are two currently approved versions of this form under this 
information collection--one for UC Portal and one for UC Path. ORR 
proposes discontinuing the UC Portal version, incorporating the UC Path 
version into the UC Portal system, and making the below-listed 
revisions. ORR also updated the burden estimates for this form to 
account for an increase in the number care provider facilities and in 
the number of children placed in ORR care. The annual number of 
respondents increased from 216 to 300 and the annual number of 
responses per respondent increased from 253 to 428.

Proposed Revisions

 Child's Information
    [cir] Retitle section from Minor's Information to Child's 
Information
    [cir] Remove the term ``minor'' from the Name, Date of Birth, and 
A# fields.
    [cir] Remove the Height, Weight, and Hair Color fields. ORR 
determined that these fields are not a good fit for this form given 
that height and weight will change quickly as the child grows and hair 
color is often altered.
    [cir] Add fields for Primary Language and Country of Birth. These 
fields will be auto-populated.
 Sponsor Information
    [cir] Rephrase Name of Sponsor to Name
    [cir] Rephrase Telephone # to Primary Phone #
    [cir] Remove Alias (if any) field
 Acknowledgement of the Sponsor Care Agreement
    [cir] Rephrase Name of ORR Care Provider to ORR Care Provider Name
    [cir] Rephrase Date to Discharge Date
    [cir] Add the following statement: In agreeing to these provisions, 
the sponsor holds authority to consent to medical and mental health 
care on behalf of the child.

Discharge Notification (Form R-2)

    There are two currently approved versions of this form under this 
information collection--one for UC Portal and one for UC Path. ORR 
proposes discontinuing the UC Path version and revising the UC Portal 
version.
    To support making iterative improvements, ORR proposes two versions 
of the form. The first version will be rolled out in the current UC 
Portal system. The second version will be rolled out in a modernized 
version of UC Portal. ORR expects to begin rolling out features in the 
new modernized system in 2024. Once the second version is rolled out, 
ORR will submit a nonsubstantive change request to remove the first 
version from the information collection.
    ORR also updated the burden estimates for this form to reflect the 
revisions and to account for an increase in the number of care provider 
facilities and in the number of children placed in

[[Page 922]]

ORR care. For both versions, the annual number of respondents increased 
from 216 to 300 and the annual number of responses per respondent 
increased from 290 to 487. For the modernized UC Portal version, the 
average burden hours per response increased from 0.17 to 0.25.

Proposed Revisions--Current UC Portal Version

 Discharge Notification
    [cir] Remove Proof of Relationship field
    [cir] Rephrase Type of Discharge field to Discharge Type and update 
dropdown options to account for all types of discharge from an ORR care 
provider facility.
 ORR Decision From Latest Release Request
    [cir] Remove the following fields: DHS Family Shelter, Local Law 
Enforcement, and Specify, if Other is Selected
    [cir] Move the following fields into a new Transfer of Placement 
Section: UC Legal Status (rephrased from Legal Status of Minor), 
Address, City, State, Zip Code, and Phone
     Create a new Other Type of Discharge section that contains 
the following fields: Discharge into the Custody of (options = 
Individual and Program/Facility), Individual or Program/Facility Name, 
Address, City, State, and Zip Code

Proposed Revisions--Modernized UC Portal Version

    In general, the purpose of the proposed revisions is to make the 
form more useful for processing the physical discharge of a child from 
a care provider program. To that end, ORR proposes adding several new 
fields, many of which are intended to support internal operations only 
and are not appropriate to share with stakeholders when notifying them 
of a child's discharge. To ensure that only information necessary to 
provide notification of a child's discharge is shared with 
stakeholders, ORR proposes making this form internal to the ORR care 
provider network and ORR staff. To more accurately capture the purpose 
of the form and to distinguish it from previous versions, ORR proposes 
renaming the form ``Program Exit Processing'' and assigning it a new 
internal control number, ``Form R-10.'' The UC Portal system will 
generate a separate report (i.e., an auto-populated document requiring 
no data entry) which will only contain the basic information necessary 
to notify stakeholders of the child's discharge. ORR will continue to 
use the title and internal control number of ``Discharge Notification 
(Form R-2)'' for the report since it will be used for the same purpose 
as the previous version of the form.

 UC Basic Information
    [cir] Remove Age field and add Portal ID field (auto-populated 
system-generated number).
 Discharge Basic Information
    [cir] Retitle section from Discharge Notification to Discharge 
Basic Information.
    [cir] Update the dropdown options for the Discharge Type field to 
be inclusive of all types of discharge scenarios and add an If Other, 
specify text box field.
    [cir] Add the following fields from the UC Path version:
    [ssquf] Status
    [ssquf] Scheduled Date of Discharge (rephrase from Release 
Scheduled Date/Time)
    [ssquf] Discharge Delay (also expand dropdown options and add an If 
Other, specify text box field)
    [ssquf] UC Parent Name
    [ssquf] Parent/Legal Guardian Separation
    [ssquf] MPP Case
    [ssquf] Next Immigration Hearing Date
    [cir] Add the following new fields:
    [ssquf] UC Parent Discharge Type
    [ssquf] UC Parent A#
    [ssquf] Did the medical coordinator certify that the child is 
medically fit to travel?
    [cir] Move the field Legal Status of Child (rephrase from Legal 
Status of Minor) under this section and add an If Other, specify text 
box field.
 Discharge Details
    [cir] Retitle section from ORR Decision from Latest Release Request 
to Discharge Details.
    [cir] Employ progressive disclosure for this section so that only 
fields relevant to the selected Discharge Type (and where applicable UC 
Parent Discharge Type) are displayed.
    [cir] Rephase field label to Receiving Program Name (currently 
Program Minor was Transferred to).
    [cir] Remove the following fields:
    [ssquf] DHS Family Shelter
    [ssquf] Local Law Enforcement
    [cir] Add the following fields from the UC Path version:
    [ssquf] Government Agency Name (rephrase from Name of Government 
Agency)
    [ssquf] Government Agency Type (rephrase from Government Agency and 
update dropdown options to add ICE ERO and remove State/Local Facility)
    [ssquf] Date Granted Voluntary Departure
    [ssquf] Date Travel Document Requested
    [ssquf] Date Travel Document Issued
    [ssquf] Referral to Services in Country of Origin (update dropdown 
options to rephrase KIND (Kids in Need of Defense) to KIND CMRRP and 
add Other Services)
    [ssquf] Completed Referral to Services in Country of Origin
    [ssquf] DHS Age Out/Age Redetermination Plan (rephrase from DHS Age 
Out Plan)
    [cir] Add the following new fields:
    [ssquf] Type of Post-18 Discharge Plan
    [ssquf] Discharged into Custody of
    [ssquf] UC Parent Discharged into Custody of
 Transportation Details
    [cir] Transfer this section and all fields contained within from 
the UC Path version without further revisions.

ORR Release Notification--ORR Notification to Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement (ICE) Chief Counsel--Release of Unaccompanied Child to 
Sponsor and Request To Change Address (Form R-3)

    ORR proposes removing this instrument from the information 
collection. No information is requested specifically for this auto-
populated document, instead this a document that is auto-populated with 
information ORR collects in other OMB-approved forms. The use of 
information consolidated on this notification document is consistent 
with the purpose for which ORR originally collects the information in 
its other forms and with ORR's system of records notice (81 FR 46682). 
This form simply compiles and presents approved information collections 
in a different format and is therefore not subject to PRA.
    The fields in this form are auto-populated from the following 
instruments:

 Discharge Notification (Form R-2, approved under this 
information collection)
 Release Request (Form R-4, approved under this information 
collection)
 Sponsor Assessment (Form S-5) (approved under OMB# 0970-0553)
 Care provider program user profile (not subject to PRA per 
OMB's April 7, 2010 memorandum Social Media, Web-Based Interactive 
Technologies, and the Paperwork Reduction Act)

Release Request (Form R-4)

    There are two currently approved versions of this form under this 
information collection--one for UC Portal and one for UC Path. ORR 
proposes discontinuing the UC Path version and revising the UC Portal 
version.
    To support making iterative improvements, ORR proposes two

[[Page 923]]

versions of the form. The first version will be rolled out in the 
current UC Portal system. The second version will be rolled out in a 
modernized version of UC Portal. ORR expects to begin rolling out 
features in the new modernized system in 2024. Once the second version 
is rolled out, ORR will submit a nonsubstantive change request to 
remove the first version from the information collection.
    ORR also updated the burden estimates for this form to reflect the 
revisions and to account for an increase in the number of care provider 
facilities and in the number of children placed in ORR care. For both 
versions, the annual number of respondents increased from 216 to 300 
for care providers; the annual number of responses per respondent 
increased from 254 to 430 for care providers and 321 to 756 for case 
coordinators. For the modernized UC Portal version, the average burden 
hours per response increased from 0.42 to 0.58 for care providers and 
0.33 to 0.50 for case coordinators.

Proposed Revisions--Current UC Portal Version

 Release Request Details
    [cir] Replace the current Requester Information section with this 
section.
    [cir] Auto-populate all fields in this section based on information 
captured in other sections of the form, information collected in the 
Sponsor Assessment (Form S-5, approved under OMB# 0970-0553), and 
system user information.
    [cir] Add the following new fields: Case Category and Relationship.
    [cir] Replace the fields Requester Name and Requester Title with 
the following auto-populated fields: Case Manager Name, Case 
Coordinator Name, and Local Federal Field Staff Name.
 Sponsor Information
    [cir] Remove the following fields: Legal Status, If other Non-
Immigrant Visa, Specify, If Other Immigrant Visa, Specify, SSN, A 
Number, Sponsor Email, Sponsor's Relationship to Minor, Is there proof 
of relationship?, Provide Details on Relationship Including Official 
Documentation, Sponsor Household Occupants, and Affidavits of Support.
 OTIP Eligibility
    [cir] This new section requests information related to referrals 
made to the Office of Trafficking in Persons, where applicable.
    [cir] Add the following new fields: Is the unaccompanied child a 
material witness?, Outcome of OTIP Referral, OTIP Referral, Date of 
OTIP Referral, Date OTIP Eligibility Begins, and Date OTIP Eligibility 
Expires.
 Program Information
    [cir] Add the following new fields: URM Program Requirement 
Eligibility and Date the URM Eligibility was Obtained.
 Case Manager Recommendation
    [cir] Reorganize the section to contain three subsections: Home 
Study, Release Recommendation, and Release Cancellation.
    [cir] Replace the fields Case Manager Recommendation, Case Manager 
Recommendation after Home Study, and If Applicable, Cancellation Reason 
with three new fields: Case Manager Home Study Recommendation, Case 
Manager Release Recommendation, and Case Manager Cancellation Reason.
    [cir] Add the following new fields: Explain your rationale for 
recommending or not recommending a Home Study, Describe case factors 
that contribute positively to your release recommendation, Describe 
case factors that contribute negatively to your release recommendation, 
List all documents used as evidence to support your recommendation to 
deny release (``evidentiary record''), and Describe circumstances of 
release cancellation.
 Case Coordinator Recommendation
    [cir] Reorganize the section to contain three subsections: Home 
Study, Release Recommendation, and Release Cancellation.
    [cir] Replace the fields Recommendation, Recommendation after Home 
Study, and If Applicable, Cancellation Reason with three new fields: 
Case Coordinator Home Study Recommendation, Case Coordinator Release 
Recommendation, and Case Coordinator Cancellation Reason.
    [cir] Add the following new fields: Explain your rationale for 
recommending or not recommending a Home Study, Case Coordinator Pending 
Information, Other, Describe case factors that contribute positively to 
your release recommendation, Describe case factors that contribute 
negatively to your release recommendation, List all documents used as 
evidence to support your recommendation to deny release (``evidentiary 
record''), and Describe circumstances of release cancellation.
 ORR Decision
    [cir] Replace the fields ORR Decision, ORR Decision after Home 
Study, and If Applicable, Cancellation Reason with three new fields: 
ORR Home Study Decision, ORR Release Decision, and ORR Cancellation 
Reason.
    [cir] Move the fields Release Approved Date and Release Approved by 
up from the Program Release Dates section and rephrase as follows: ORR 
Decision Date and ORR Decisionmaker Name.
    [cir] Add the following new fields: ORR Hold Reason, Explain your 
rationale for recommending or not recommending a Home Study, Please 
summarize the results of the home study including any recommendations 
made by the Home Study provider, if there are any concerns, and how 
they were mitigated, Describe case factors that contribute positively 
to your release recommendation, Describe case factors that contribute 
negatively to your release recommendation, List all documents used as 
evidence to support your recommendation to deny release (``evidentiary 
record''), and Describe circumstances of release cancellation.

Proposed Revisions--Modernized UC Portal Version

 Case Details--Retitle section from UC Basic Information to 
Case Details.
 Release Request Details
    [cir] Replace the current Requester Information section with this 
section.
    [cir] Auto-populate all fields in this section based on information 
captured in other sections of the form, information collected in the 
Sponsor Assessment (Form S-5, approved under OMB# 0970-0553), and 
system user information.
    [cir] Add the following new fields: Case Category, Relationship, 
Process and Release Status.
    [cir] Replace the fields Requester Name and Requester Title with 
the following auto-populated fields: Case Manager Name, Case 
Coordinator Name, Local Federal Field Staff Name, and Box Federal Field 
Staff Name (if Applicable).
 Sponsor Information
    [cir] Add the following new fields that will auto-populate based on 
information entered in the Sponsor Assessment (Form S-5, approved under 
OMB# 0970-0553): Evidence gathered to support sponsor/child 
relationship, Birth Certificate Trail, Concurrent and Prior 
Sponsorships, Sponsor's Previous Address(es), Sponsor's Current 
Address, and Flags Associated with Sponsors.
    [cir] Add the following new fields that will be completed by the 
user: Other (in response to What evidence has been gathered to support 
sponsor/child relationship), Does sponsor birth certificate match 
official sponsor ID?, If no, please note discrepancies between sponsor 
birth certificate and official sponsor ID, Was birth certificate 
verified

[[Page 924]]

by the consulate, If unable to conclusively prove relationship, please 
explain, and Concurrent and Prior Sponsorships Evaluation.
    [cir] Remove the following fields: Legal Status, If other Non-
Immigrant Visa, Specify, If Other Immigrant Visa, Specify, SSN, Provide 
Details on Relationship Including Official Documentation, Sponsor 
Household Occupants, and Affidavits of Support.
Family Reunification Packet & Supporting Documents
    [cir] Add this new section which will reference all supporting 
documentation relevant for release recommendations to minimize the 
amount of cross-referencing system users typically do to complete this 
form.
    [cir] Unification Documentation Subsection
    [ssquf] Add the following new fields that will auto-populate based 
on information enter in the Sponsor Assessment (Form S-5, approved 
under OMB# 0970-0553): Sponsor, Sponsor Identification, Was the sponsor 
address validated through SmartyStreets?, Choose to link google maps 
and google earth screenshots, What documentation was provided as proof 
of address, Household Member Name, Household Member Identification, ID 
Expiration Date, Alternate Caregiver Name, Alternate Caregiver 
Identification, and ID Expiration Date.
    [ssquf] Add the following new fields that will be completed by the 
user: Date FRP Received by Case Manager, Describe the sponsor's ability 
to provide housing, food, and education to the child, On what date was 
the Letter of Designation received, Not Collected (checkbox), and On 
what date was the Legal Orientation Program for Custodians Packet sent 
to the Sponsor?
Child-Level Events Subsection
    [ssquf] Hyperlink to information collected in the Child-Level Event 
(Form A-9, approved under OMB# 0970-0547), when applicable. This 
section is proposed purely to assist users in having all case 
information in one place. Child-Level Events in and of themselves are 
not the sole basis of release decisions but can inform whether a Home 
Study recommendation is made, what level of post-release services (PRS) 
is recommended for release, or what type of program would be best 
suited to a child released to program rather than a sponsor.
Legal Representation Subsection
    [ssquf] Add the following new fields: Does the child have an 
attorney of record? and Date Attorney Appointed, Is this a Migrant 
Protection Protocol case?, Is there a removal order for the 
unaccompanied child?, and Is this a Parental/Legal Guardian separation 
case?.
Child Advocate Subsection
    [ssquf] Add the following new fields: Does the child have a Child 
Advocate appointed?, Date Child Advocate Appointed.
    [ssquf] Add a hyperlink to the Child Advocate Best Interest 
Determination (which is uploaded into UC Portal) upon completion, is 
proposed to be added into this form for the user's ease of reference.
OTIP Eligibility Subsection
    [ssquf] This subsection requests information related to referrals 
made to the Office of Trafficking in Persons, where applicable.
    [ssquf] Add the following new fields: Is the unaccompanied child a 
material witness?, Outcome of OTIP Referral, OTIP Status, Date of OTIP 
Referral, Date OTIP Eligibility Begins, and Date OTIP Eligibility 
Expires.
    [ssquf] Add a hyperlink to the OTIP Eligibility Letter (if 
applicable) which is uploaded into UC Portal, upon completion, will be 
added into this form for the user's ease of reference.
Release to Program (URM, State, Local Social Service Agency, Other) 
Subsection
    [ssquf] Add the following new fields: URM Program Requirement 
Eligibility, Date the URM Eligibility was Obtained, Program Accepts 
Guardianship, Program Agreed to Condition of Release, How/Why Program 
was identified, Date of Referral to the Program, Date of Acceptance, 
Program Comment, and Program License Type, Program Type, Facility Name, 
Program Address, and Other.
    [ssquf] Add a hyperlink to the Discharge Plan (Form R-9), which is 
a new instrument proposed under this request.
Criminal Investigations
    [cir] Auto-populate information on background check results from 
the Sponsor Assessment (Form S-5, approved under OMB# 0970-0553).
    [cir] Employ progressive disclosure to limit or expand each 
subsection based on the facts of the case.
[cir] Criminal Investigations: Sponsor Subsection
    [ssquf] Add the following new fields that will be completed by the 
user: Has the sponsor self-disclosed any criminal history? Please 
Explain., Is there evidence of rehabilitation? Please Explain., FFS 
requested the following additional information to adjudicate CA/N 
Results:, FFS adjudicated referred CA/N Check Results, FFS Requested 
the following information to adjudicate Fingerprints Results:, FFS 
adjudicated Fingerprints Results, and Did the FFS instruct that it is 
safe to move forward with the sponsor given the Fingerprint and CA/N 
Results? Please Explain:.
[cir] Criminal Investigations: Household Member (HHM) Subsection
    [ssquf] Add the following new fields that will be completed by the 
user: Has the household member self-disclosed any criminal history? 
Please Explain., Is there evidence of rehabilitation? Please Explain., 
FFS requested the following additional information to adjudicate CA/N 
Results:, FFS adjudicated referred CA/N Check Results, FFS Requested 
the following information to adjudicate Fingerprints Results:, FFS 
adjudicated Fingerprints Results, and Did the FFS instruct that it is 
safe to move forward with the sponsor given the HHM's Fingerprint and 
CA/N Results? Please Explain:.
[cir] Criminal Investigations: Alternate Caregiver (ACG) Subsection
    [ssquf] Add the following new fields that will be completed by the 
user: Has the alternate caregiver self-disclosed any criminal history? 
Please Explain., Is there evidence of rehabilitation? Please Explain., 
FFS requested the following additional information to adjudicate CA/N 
Results:, FFS adjudicated referred CA/N Check Results, FFS Requested 
the following information to adjudicate Fingerprints Results:, FFS 
adjudicated Fingerprints Results, and Did the FFS instruct that it is 
safe to move forward with the sponsor given the alternate caregiver's 
Fingerprint and CA/N Results? Please Explain:
 Home Study Recommendation Section
    [cir] Move all fields related to home study recommendations into 
this new section. Currently, the Case Manager Recommendation, Case 
Coordinator Recommendation, and ORR Decision sections contain fields 
related to home study recommendations, release recommendations, and 
cancellation reasons. Moving fields related to home study 
recommendations here will distinguish the home study decision from the 
release decision and cancellation reasons. This section will contain 
subsections for each party involved in the home study recommendation 
and decision process--Case Manager Recommendation, Case

[[Page 925]]

Coordinator Recommendation, and ORR Decision.
    [cir] Add a new dropdown option, Do Not Recommend Home Study, to 
the case manager and case coordination recommendation fields and the 
decision field (current dropdown options are Home Study--TVPRA, Home 
Study--Discretionary, and Home Study--ORR Mandated).
    [cir] Add a new field, Explain your rationale for recommending or 
not recommending a Home Study, to all three subsections.
    [cir] Add the following new fields that will appear if a home study 
is approved: Date Home Study Referral Sent, Date Home Study Referral 
Accepted, and Date Home Study Completed. These fields will auto-
populated based on UC Portal system data.
    [cir] Add a hyperlink to the Home Study Report will appear after it 
is uploaded into UC Portal, as well as a new field: Please summarize 
the results of the home study including any recommendations made by the 
Home Study provider. If there are any concerns and how they were 
mitigated.
 Release Recommendation
    [cir] Bundle the Case Manager Recommendation, Case Coordinator 
Recommendation, and ORR Decision sections together as subsections under 
this new section. Fields related to home study recommendations will be 
moved into the Home Study Recommendation section (as discussed above) 
and fields related to cancellation reasons will be moved into the 
Release Cancellation section (as discussed below).
    [cir] Add three checkboxes to assist in routing for this form: 
Submitted on Weekend or Holiday?, ICF or Casa Padre?, and Certified 
Medically Fit for Travel (a field that can only be completed by ORR 
federal staff).
    [cir] Update the dropdown options for the following fields to 
reflect that all children released from ORR care will receive PRS 
beginning January 1, 2024: Case Manager Release Recommendation, Case 
Coordinator Release Recommendation, and ORR Release Decision.
    [cir] Add the following fields to direct case routing: Case Manager 
Routing, Case Coordinator Routing, ORR Routing (if applicable).
    [cir] Add the following new fields to each subsection: Describe 
case factors that contribute positively to your release recommendation, 
Describe case factors that contribute negatively to your release 
recommendation, and List all documents used as evidence to support your 
recommendation to deny release (will only appear if the recommendation 
is to deny release).
[cir] Case Manager Recommendation Subsection
    [ssquf] Add checkboxes for the types of documents the user reviewed 
to inform their recommendation as well as an Other text box to describe 
any documents reviewed that are not included in the checklist.
[cir] Case Coordinator Recommendation Subsection
    [ssquf] Add a new field, Case Coordinator Pending Information as 
well as an Other text box to capture addition information is the user 
selects Other.
[cir] ORR Decision Subsection
    [ssquf] Add the following new fields: ORR Decisionmaker Role, ORR 
Remand Reason (along with a corresponding Other text field), and ORR 
HOLD Reason.
    [ssquf] Add a hyperlink to the final Notification of Denial Letter 
signed by the ORR Director that will appear if Deny Release is selected 
for a Cat 1, Cat 2A, or Cat 2B sponsor.
 Release Cancellation
    [cir] Move fields related to release cancellation into this new 
section to distinguish cancellations from home study and release 
recommendations. This section will contain subsections for each party 
involved in cancellations--Case Manager Recommendation, Case 
Coordinator Recommendation, and ORR Decision.
    [cir] Add the following new fields to each subsection: Cancellation 
Reason and Describe circumstances of release cancellation.
    [cir] Add the following fields that will prompt the user to select 
a more specific reason for cancellation: Specific Sponsor Withdrawal 
Reason, Specific Reason for Child Discharge (Non-unification or 
Program), and Specific Administrative Closure Reason.

Virtual Check-In Questionnaire (Form R-6) (Formerly Titled Safety and 
Well-Being Call)

    There are two currently approved versions of this form under this 
information collection--one in Excel and one for UC Path. ORR proposes 
the below-listed revisions to the current UC Path version and plans to 
incorporate the revised version into the UC Portal system.
    In addition, ORR is requesting continued use of the current Excel 
version of this instrument to support a phased rollout of improvements 
to the UC Portal system.
    ORR updated the burden estimates for this form to reflect form 
revisions, to account for an increase in the number of care provider 
facilities and in the number of children placed in ORR care, and to 
improve burden accuracy. The burden estimate was split into three 
separate line items for each respondent. The annual number of 
respondents changed from 216 care providers to 40 PRS providers, 
128,487 sponsors, and 128,487 children; the annual number of responses 
per respondent increased from 253 to 19,273 for PRS providers, 3 for 
sponsors, and 3 for children; and the average burden hours per response 
increased from 0.42 to 0.58 for PRS providers, 0.17 to 0.25 for 
sponsors, and 0.17 to 0.25 for children.
    ORR plans to shift responsibility for conducting safety and well-
being calls from care provider facilities to PRS providers. Moving 
forward these calls will be called virtual check-ins. All children 
released to a sponsor and their sponsors will continue to receive 
calls, however, the frequency of the calls will increase from one to 
three calls--conducted at seven business days, 14 business days, and 30 
business days after the child's release from ORR custody.
    ORR proposes the following revisions to the UC Path version of Form 
R-6 to support this change in process:
     Change the title to ``Virtual Check-In Questionnaire.''
     Pre-Call Information--This section will replace the UAC 
Basic Information and Case Information sections. The new section 
retains the child and sponsor information and adds fields to capture 
phone numbers for contacts in the care plan and in home country. All 
information in this section will be auto-populated.
     Questions for the Sponsor--This section will replace the 
Sponsor Address Confirmation and Sponsor Questions sections. The new 
section will include subsections for Location & Contact Information, 
Child's School, Child's Medical & Mental Health, Legal Services & 
Child's Immigration Court Dates, Safety & Well-Being, and Child's Work. 
This section adds 16 new questions. The section also retains, and in 
some cases adds additional follow-up questions for, the questions 
confirming the address, whether the child still lives with the sponsor, 
whether the child is registered for school, whether the child is having 
any behavioral or health issues, whether the sponsor has attended the 
Legal Orientation Program for Custodians of Unaccompanied Children 
(LOPC) presentation, whether the sponsor is aware of, and notified the 
child of, the child's next immigration

[[Page 926]]

court date, whether the child has attended their scheduled court 
hearing, whether the sponsor still has the child's Verification of 
Release form, and whether the sponsor has been asked to pay for the 
release of the child.
     Questions for the Child--This section will replace the UAC 
Address Confirmation and UAC Questions sections. The new section will 
include subsections for Location, School, Medical & Mental Health, 
Immigration & Legal Services, and Safety & Well-Being (to include 
subsections for Post-Release, Work, and In-Care). The new section adds 
34 new questions. The section also retains, and in some cases adds 
additional follow-up questions for, the questions confirming the 
address, whether the child still lives with the sponsor, whether the 
child is attending school, whether the child feels safe, whether the 
child has been adequately provided for, whether anyone has been asked 
to pay for the release of the child, whether the child is being forced 
to work or pay money, and whether the child is aware of their next 
immigration court date.
     Post-Call Assessment and Outcomes--This section will 
replace the following sections: Sponsor Interview, UAC Interview, Case 
Manager Observation and Action Follow-Up, UAC May be in Immediate 
Danger, UAC May be Unsafe, UAC May Have Been Sexually Abused or 
Harassed While in ORR Care, Additional Support Services or LOPC 
Appointment, and Case Manager Certification. The new section adds 5 new 
questions. The section also retains, and in some cases builds on, 
questions on whether the phone was disconnected, sponsor participation, 
whether the child appears to be in immediate danger, whether the child 
or sponsor should be assessed for additional PRS, post-call actions 
taken, and reasons for elevation (if applicable).

Discharge Plan (Form R-9)

    ORR care providers are required to conduct discharge planning for 
children who are not likely to be released to a sponsor, may obtain a 
form of lawful immigration relief, are projected to have a prolonged 
stay in ORR care, and/or will soon turn age 18 and age out of ORR care. 
Discharge planning is a participatory process that takes into 
consideration the wishes and goals of the child and includes 
consultation with the child's legal services provider, attorney of 
record, child advocate, and other stakeholders (e.g., parents, legal 
guardian in home country) as applicable. Case managers engage in 
concurrent planning, whenever possible, to ensure there are multiple 
options included in the child's discharge plan.
    ORR developed this instrument to improve and standardize the 
process for discharge planning across its national network of care 
providers. The new instrument will collect information on the following 
topics:

 Child's Basic Information
 Placement Information After Release
 Financial Plan
 Education and Career Plan
 Community Resources Plan
 Residential Plan
 UC Program Family Group
 Case Management Needs
 Family Unification Plan
 Legal Services Plan
 Voluntary Departure Plan
 Release to DHS ICE Field Office Juvenile Coordinator Upon Age 
Out
 Transportation Plan
 Health Discharge Safety Plan
 Behavioral Health Support Summary
 Summary of Strengths and Life Skills

    The Legal Services Plan section of this instrument will replace 
Post Legal Status Plan (Form L-8), which is currently approved under 
OMB# 0970-0565. ORR plans to submit a nonsubstantive change request to 
discontinue Form L-8 soon.
    Respondents: ORR grantee and contractor staff; and released 
children and sponsors.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  Annual number   Average burden
          Information collection title            Annual number    of responses      hours per     Annual total
                                                 of respondents   per respondent     response      burden hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Verification of Release (Form R-1).............             300              428            0.17          21,828
Discharge Notification (Form R-2)--Current UC               300              487            0.17          24,837
 Portal........................................
Release Request (Form R-4)--Current UC Portal--             300              430            0.42          54,180
 Care Provider.................................
Release Request (Form R-4)--Current UC Portal--             170              756            0.33          42,412
 Case Coordinator..............................
Release Request (Form R-4)--Modernized UC                   300              430            0.58          74,820
 Portal--Care Provider.........................
Release Request (Form R-4)--Modernized UC                   170              756            0.50          64,260
 Portal--Case Coordinator......................
Virtual Check-In Questionnaire (R-6)--Current           128,487                1            0.25          32,122
 Excel--Sponsor................................
Virtual Check-In Questionnaire (R-6)--Current           128,487                1            0.25          32,122
 Excel--Child..................................
Virtual Check-In Questionnaire (R-6)--Current                40           19,273            0.75         578,190
 Excel--PRS Provider...........................
Virtual Check-In Questionnaire (R-6)--Sponsor..         128,487                3            0.25          96,365
Virtual Check-In Questionnaire (R-6)--Child....         128,487                3            0.25          96,365
Virtual Check-In Questionnaire (R-6)--PRS                    40           19,273            0.58         447,134
 Provider......................................
Discharge Plan (Form R-9)......................             300               11            2.00           6,600
Program Exit Processing (Form R-10)--Modernized             300              487            0.25          36,525
 UC Portal.....................................
                                                ----------------------------------------------------------------
    Estimated Annual Burden Hours Total........  ..............  ...............  ..............       1,607,760
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 927]]

    Authority: 6 U.S.C. 279; 8 U.S.C. 1232; Flores v. Reno Settlement 
Agreement, No. CV85-4544-RJK (C.D. Cal. 1996).

Mary B. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-00077 Filed 1-5-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-45-P