Administration for Children and Families 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In FY 2011, the Office of Community Services (OCS) will coordinate with the Administration on Native Americans (ANA) to implement the Native Asset Building Initiative, through which the two offices will support Tribes and Native organizations in planning and implementing comprehensive asset-building projects. The initiative will feature special grants through the Assets for Independence (AFI) program. These grants will be in addition to the annual AFI grants that OCS will award in FY 2011. In contrast to the annual awards, though, the eligibility criteria to be listed for these AFI grants in the ``Native Asset Building Initiative'' will vary from the annual AFI awards' eligibility criteria. This is because the criteria used to determine eligibility for these special initiative awards will be more consistent with those used to determine eligibility in the ANA grant program with which OCS is coordinating. Consequently, the eligibility for the special AFI grants will be limited to Native 501(c)(3) non- profits serving Native Americans; Federally recognized Tribal governments or Alaska Native Villages, as defined in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, that are joint applicants with a 501(c)(3) Native non-profit organization; and Native non-profit organizations designated by the Secretary of the Treasury as Community Development Financial Institutions and Native non-profit credit unions designated by the National Credit Union Administration as low-income credit unions that demonstrate a collaborative relationship with a local community based organization whose activities are designed to address poverty and the needs of community members for economic independence and stability. Other entities will not be eligible for awards under this initiative, but will continue to be eligible for awards under the annual AFI funding opportunity announcement that was published issued for FY 2011 through FY 2013 on February 24, 2011 on https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/ open/foa/view/HHS-2011-ACF-OCS-EI-0137. It is estimated that OCS will award up to 10 AFI program grants under Native Asset Building Initiative, with overall funding of approximately $2,500,000 toward the initiative. It is anticipated that each recipient of these special AFI grants will also receive a separate ANA award for their project. In addition to these special AFI awards, we estimate that $15,000,000 in grants will be awarded in FY 2011 under the annual AFI funding opportunity announcement published on February 24, 2011.

This notice announces a forthcoming meeting of a public advisory committee of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). The meeting will be open to the public. Name of Committee: Advisory Committee for Head Start Research and Evaluation. General Function of Committee: The Advisory Committee for Head Start Research and Evaluation will provide feedback on the published final report for the Head Start Impact Study, offering interpretations of the findings, discussing implications for practice and policy, and providing recommendations on follow-up research, including additional analysis of the Head Start Impact Study data. The Committee will also be asked to provide recommendations to the Secretary regarding how to improve Head Start and other early childhood programs by enhancing the use of research-informed practices in early childhood. Finally, the Committee will be asked to provide recommendations on the overall Head Start research agenda, includingbut not limited tohow the Head Start Impact Study fits within this agenda. The Committee will provide advice regarding future research efforts to inform HHS about how to guide the development and implementation of best practices in Head Start and other early childhood programs around the country.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary and Inter-Departmental Liaison for Early Childhood Development announces the award of a cooperative agreement with the Congressional Hunger Center (CHC) in Washington, DC, to work with ACF programs on hunger and obesity issues for young children. An award in the amount of $3,000 has been made to the CHC.

This proposed rule would amend Head Start program regulations to codify statutory eligibility requirements for Head Start and Early Head Start program enrollment and strengthen procedures to determine, verify, certify, and maintain records regarding eligibility for Head Start and Early Head Start program enrollment. It also proposes to create new requirements for the person seeking services to certify in a signed and dated statement that the documents and information that the person provided concerning eligibility are accurate to the best of the person's knowledge, as well as new requirements for program staff who make the eligibility determination to certify in a signed and dated statement that the information on eligibility in the file is accurate to the best of the person's knowledge, and based on that information, the person has determined the pregnant woman or child to be eligible for services. In addition, it proposes to create a new requirement for agencies to establish policies and procedures describing the actions that will be taken against staff who violate eligibility determination requirements and requires agencies to provide training related to eligibility requirements and the legal consequences of committing fraud. The intent of this rule is to reduce substantially the risk that children or pregnant women who are ineligible for participation in Head Start or Early Head Start programs are enrolled in these programs.

Pursuant to the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007, Public Law 110-134, notice is hereby given of one-day Tribal Consultation Sessions to be held between the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, OHS leadership, and the leadership of Tribal Governments operating Head Start (including Early Head Start) programs. The purpose of these Consultation Sessions is to discuss ways to better meet the needs of American Indian and Alaska Native children and their families, taking into consideration funding allocations, distribution formulas, and other issues affecting the delivery of Head Start services in their geographic locations [42 U.S.C. 9835, Section 640(l)(4)]. Dates & Locations: The initial 2011 OHS Tribal Consultation Sessions will be held as follows: Friday, March 25, 2011Rapid City, South DakotaBest Western Ramkota. Friday, April 1, 2011Boston, MassachusettsJFK Federal Building.

As required by section 423(c) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 623(c)), the Department is publishing the allotment percentage for each State under the Title IV-B Subpart 1, Child Welfare Services State Grants Program. Under section 423(a), the allotment percentages are one of the factors used in the computation of the Federal grants awarded under the Program.