Administration for Children and Families 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Memorandum of January 20, 2009, from the Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff entitled ``Regulatory Review'' [74 FR 4435], the Department published a document in the Federal Register on March 3, 2009 [74 FR 9171], seeking public comment on a contemplated delay of 60 days in the effective date of the rule entitled ``State Parent Locator Service; Safeguarding Child Support Information,'' published in the Federal Register on September 26, 2008

Notice is hereby given that the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Community Services (OCS) will award a non-competitive successor grant to Neighborhood Assets, a non-profit organization located in Spokane, Washington. The Assets for Independence program supports grantees that provide low-income individuals and families with access to special matched savings accounts called individual development accounts (IDAs) and other asset- building tools such as financial literacy education and coaching and training on money management and consumer issues. The award will enable the Neighborhood Assets to implement an Assets for Independence project serving low-income families in Spokane, Washington. This action is taken as the original grantee, Spokane Neighborhood Action Programs, has relinquished the grant.

This announcement governs the proposed award of mandatory grants under the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) to States (including Territories and Insular Areas). The purpose of these grants is to assist States in establishing, maintaining, and expanding programs and projects to prevent family violence and to provide immediate shelter and related assistance for victims of family violence and their dependents (42 U.S.C. 10401).

This announcement governs the proposed award of formula grants under the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) to private, non-profit State Domestic Violence Coalitions (Coalitions). The purpose of these grants is to assist in the conduct of activities to promote domestic violence intervention and prevention and to increase public awareness of family violence issues (42 U.S.C. 10410(a)).

Effective October 1, 2009, Public Law 110-351 provides Indian Tribes with the option to operate a foster care, adoption assistance and, at Tribal option, a kinship guardianship assistance program under title IV-E of the Social Security Act (the Act). The Federal government would share in the costs of Tribes operating an ACF-approved title IV-E program. Public Law 110-351 requires that ACF develop interim final rules after consulting with Tribes and affected States on the implementation of the Tribal plan requirements in section 479B of the Act and other amendments made by the Tribal provisions in section 301 of Public Law 110-351. The law requires that such regulations include: (1) Procedures to ensure that a transfer of State responsibility for the placement and care of a child under a State title IV-E plan to a Tribal title IV-E plan occurs in a manner that does not affect the child's eligibility for title IV-E or title XIX Medicaid and such services or payments; and, (2) the in-kind expenditures from third- party sources permitted for the Tribal share of administration and training expenditures under title IV-E. This notice is designed to provide a written opportunity for comment to all interested persons, and specifically the affected States and to notify Tribal leaders of in-person opportunities to consult with the Children's Bureau on the development of these regulations.

In accordance with the memorandum of January 20, 2009, from the Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, entitled ``Regulatory Review,'' published in the Federal Register on January 26, 2009, the Department is seeking public comment on a contemplated delay of 60 days in the effective date of the rule entitled ``State Parent Locator Service; Safeguarding Child Support Information,'' published in the Federal Register on September 26, 2008 [73 FR 56422]. That rule addresses requirements for State Parent Locator Service responses to authorized location requests, State IV-D program safeguarding of confidential information, authorized disclosures of this information, and restrictions on the use of confidential data and information for child support purposes with exceptions for certain disclosures permitted by statute. The Department is considering a temporary 60-day delay in effective date to allow Department officials the opportunity for further review and consideration of new regulations, consistent with the Chief of Staff's memorandum of January 20, 2009. The Department solicits comments specifically on the contemplated delay in effective date.