Administration for Children and Families 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) and the Family and Youth Services Bureau in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) request an extension without changes of a currently approved information collection activity as part of the Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) Program Performance Analysis Study (PAS). The goal of the study is to collect, analyze, and report on performance measures data for the SRAE program (OMB Control No. 0970-0536; expiration date January 31, 2025). The purpose of the requested extension is to continue the ongoing data collection and submission of the performance measures by SRAE grant recipients. Minor updates were identified to incorporate into the OMB-approved versions of instruments.

The National Advisory Committee on the Trafficking of Children and Youth in the United States (Committee) was established on November 7, 2024, to build on the work of the previous National Advisory Committee on the Sex Trafficking of Children and Youth in the United States, authorized pursuant to section 121 of the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act. The Committee advises on practical and general policies concerning improvements in the Nation's response to the human trafficking of children and youth in the United States, including the cooperation of Federal, State, local, and Tribal governments; child welfare agencies; social service providers; physical health and mental health providers; victim service providers; Federal, State, and local police; juvenile detention centers; State or local courts with responsibility for conducting or supervising proceedings related to child welfare or social services for children and their families; runaway and homeless youth programs; schools; technology, gaming and entertainment industry; and businesses and organizations that provide services to youth. While addressing the response to the trafficking of children and youth, the Committee shall consider recommendations related to the intersection of sex trafficking and labor trafficking among children and youth in the United States. Note that this Federal Register Notice of the Charter filing should have been published 15 days in advance.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is inviting public comment on the proposed collection. The request consists of two forms that will allow the Unaccompanied Children (UC) Bureau to obtain informed consent from authorized consenters and informed assent or agreement from unaccompanied children for the administration of psychotropic medication.

The Administration for Children and Families is proposing revisions to an approved information collection, the Child Care Improper Payments Data Collection Instructions (OMB #0970-0323, expiration 1/31/2025). In addition to the proposed changes, we are requesting a 3-year extension.

This final rule describes how the Office of Head Start officially delays the date for programs to meet the new competitive threshold for the Instructional Support domain of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS[supreg]) used to determine whether a Head Start agency will be subject to an open competition under the Designation Renewal System (DRS). The implementation date in the Head Start Program Performance Standards that raises the CLASS[supreg] Instructional Support competitive threshold from 2.3 to 2.5 was August 1, 2025. This final rule officially delays this implementation date to August 1, 2027.

The Office of Child Care (OCC), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is requesting a three-year extension with changes to the form ACF-800: CCDF Annual Aggregate Report (Office of Management and Budget #0970-0150, expiration 3/31/2025). OCC proposes changes incorporating new items on presumptive eligibility and on additional information about lead agencies using grants and contracts for direct services to expand parent options for certain types of care specified in the 2024 CCDF final rule.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is requesting a 3-year extension of the Administration for Native Americans Project Outcome Assessment Survey (OMB #: 0970-0379, expiration 6/30/2025). The survey was revised based on a review by the Administration for Native Americans (ANA) and feedback from grantees, which identified some data elements that could be eliminated and areas that could be clarified.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), invites public comments to inform the use or adoption of interoperability standards for human services programs. ACF and state, local, and tribal governments all provide a number of health and human services programs for children, youth, families, communities, and individuals. ACF seeks public comment on the most effective approaches, technical standards, and technological tools that currently or could promote interoperability between health and human services programs. ACF collaborates with the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ASTP/ ONC) as a critical steward and advisor for human services interoperability with responsibility for leading the development and harmonization of interoperability standards between health and human services in line with the HHS Data Strategy. The potential of interoperability across the full spectrum of health and human services is immenseit can enable efficient delivery of government services, enhance access to critical non-profit programs, and most importantly, improve overall individual and community outcomes. ACF has authority under the Title IV of the Social Security Act to designate use of interoperable data standards for several of its programs (e.g., Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), child support, child welfare, and foster care). The purpose of this RFI is to understand how ACF, in collaboration with ASTP/ONC, can better support interoperability between human services within and across states and local community resources, between states, and ACF.

Notice is hereby given to the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada (ITCN) and interested parties of a reconsideration hearing. The purpose of the hearing is to reconsider the decision of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Child Care (OCC) regarding revision to the FY2023-2025 triennial child count submitted by the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada (ITCN) as part of their triennial plan, submitted on July 1, 2022. Because the child count was submitted as part of ITCN's FY2023-205 triennial plan, ITCN is entitled to request reconsideration to determine "whether such Plan or amendment conforms to the requirements for approval under the Act and pertinent Federal regulations." The sole issue to be reconsidered is OCC's decision to reduce ITCN's child count.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services seeks approval to collect information to deepen our understanding of Head Start programs' funding approaches, as well as how the use of multiple funding sources within a single Head Start program may be associated with the delivery of Head Start's comprehensive services and early care and education (ECE) funding landscapes within states. Interviews will be conducted with Head Start staff, as well as state and local/regional staff knowledgeable about and/or directly responsible for ECE financial decision making and/or funding source administration. Existing documents from Head Start programs and ECE agencies will also be reviewed to further contextualize interview data.

The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is requesting approval of the Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF) Final Report Templates. HMRF grant programs are required to submit a final report describing their local evaluation analyses and findings. This request includes guidance for grant recipients in the form of templates. Information will inform technical assistance to support grantees in developing and submitting the final reports to ACF to fulfill a grant requirement.

The ACF, OCS, Division of Energy Assistance announces a preliminary determination that funds from the federal fiscal year 2023 (FY23) Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) are available for reallotment to states, territories, tribes, and tribal organizations that received FY24 direct LIHEAP awards. The purpose of this award is to redistribute FY23 annual LIHEAP funds that recipients were unable to obligate or carry over to FY24. No sub-recipients of these recipients or other entities may apply for these funds.

The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) and the Family and Youth Services Bureau in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) request an extension without changes of a currently approved information collection activity as part of the Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) Program Performance Analysis Study (PAS). The goal of the study is to collect, analyze, and report on performance measures data for the SRAE program (OMB Control No. 0970-0536; expiration date 1/31/2025). The purpose of the requested extension is to continue the ongoing data collection and submission of the performance measures by SRAE grant recipients.

As part of the Understanding and Expanding the Reach of Home Visiting (HV-REACH) project, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is proposing to collect qualitative data to understand the features of centralized, coordinated, or collaborative intake systems used by seven purposively selected sites that refer families to early childhood home visiting (ECHV) programs.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Child Care plans to submit revisions to an approved generic information collection (GenIC) under the umbrella generic: Generic Clearance for Financial Reports used for ACF Non-Discretionary Grant Programs (0970- 0510). The request revises ACF-696T, the annual financial report for tribal CCDF grant programs to submit financial claims. This specific form collects financial data for Tribal CCDF programs. The proposed revisions to the ACF-696T will provide reporting instructions to Tribal Lead Agencies who are approved under a temporary opportunity to retroactively request the use CCDF funds, including most COVID- relief funds, for construction and/or major renovation with the intent of offsetting increased costs of materials, labor, and other related project costs.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Early Childhood Development (ECD) is requesting revisions to the Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program: Guidance for Submitting Reports (Office of Management and Budget (OMB) #: 0970-0409; expiration 3/31/2026) and a three-year extension of approval.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Children's Bureau plans to submit revisions to an approved generic information collection (GenIC) under the umbrella generic: Generic Clearance for Financial Reports used for ACF Non-Discretionary Grant Programs (0970- 0510). This request revises form CB-496, the Title IV-E Programs Quarterly Financial Report, used by title IV-E agencies to submit financial claims for the title IV-E entitlement grant programs.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) proposes revisions to the existing overarching generic clearance for Pre-testing of ACF Data Collection Activities (Previously titled Pre-testing of Evaluation Data Collection Activities; Office of Management and Budget (OMB) #0970-0355). Revisions are proposed to broaden the scope of the generic to include pretesting of data elements used on information collections that are not specifically for research and evaluation. This includes updates to the title of the request, overarching description, and burden estimates. We are also requesting an extension for currently approved information collections under this generic.

The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is proposing an information collection activity for the Child Abuse and Neglect Background Checks for Child Care and Early Education (CAN Checks for CCEE) Project. The goal of the project is to better understand how states and territories use findings from CAN registry background checks, as required by the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 (CCDBG), to make child care employment eligibility determinations. The study will also be used to understand state and territory variation, facilitators, and challenges in implementing CAN registry background checks; and explore any resulting within- or across-state/territory equity implications.

The Office of Community Services (OCS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), requests an approval of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Model Tribal Plan.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) launched the Testing Identified Elements for Success in Fatherhood Programs (Fatherhood TIES) project in 2022. Using a mix of research methods, this study will test "core components" of fatherhood programs to identify program elements that are effective at improving the lives of fathers who participate in fatherhood programs and their children. The study includes an implementation and an impact study. A request for initial data collection materials was approved by the Office of Management and Budget in December 2023. This notice provides information about additional data collection activities to support this study.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) is requesting a three-year extension of the form: Request for Assistance (RFA) for Child Victims of Human Trafficking (Office of Management and Budget (OMB) #0970-0362, expiration 09/30/2024). Burden estimates have been updated based on observed increases in the volume of requests received. The RFA form and estimated time per response remains the same.

The Office of Community Services (OCS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) requests a 3-year extension of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) State Plan, CSBG Eligible Entity Master List, and the American Customer Survey Index (ACSI) forms (OMB #0970-0382, expiration 8/31/2024). There are no changes requested to these information collections.

As part of the Understanding and Expanding the Reach of Home Visiting (HV-REACH) project, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is proposing to collect qualitative data to understand the features of centralized, coordinated, or collaborative intake systems used by seven purposively selected sites that refer families to early childhood home visiting (ECHV) programs.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Child Care (OCC) is requesting a 3-year extension of the form ACF-118A: Child Care and Development Fund for Tribes (Office of Management and Budget # 0970-0198, expiration April 4, 2025) for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2026-2028. There are changes proposed to the form to improve formatting, streamline questions, and reduce burden.