Children and Families Administration – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces the estimated median income for four- person families in each State and the District of Columbia for FFY 2007 (October 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007). LIHEAP grantees may adopt the State median income estimates beginning with the date of this publication of the estimates in the Federal Register or at a later date as discussed below. This means that LIHEAP grantees could choose to implement this notice during the period between the heating and cooling seasons. However, by October 1, 2006, or by the beginning of a grantee's fiscal year, whichever is later, LIHEAP grantees using State median income estimates must adjust their income eligibility criteria to be in accord with the FFY 2007 State median income estimates. This listing of estimated State median incomes provides one of the maximum income criteria that LIHEAP grantees may use in determining a household's income eligibility for LIHEAP.

The Children's Bureau (CB) within the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) announces the proposed priorities for research on the causes, prevention, assessment, identification, treatment, cultural and socio-economic distinctions, and the consequences of child abuse and neglect. Section 104(a)(4) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), as amended by the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003, Public Law (Pub. L.). 108-36, requires the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to publish proposed priorities for research activities for public comment and to maintain an official record of such public comment. The proposed priorities are being announced for the two-year period required by CAPTA. Because the amount of Federal funds available for discretionary activities in Fiscal Years 2006-2008 is expected to be limited, respondents are encouraged to recommend how the proposed issues should be prioritized. The actual solicitation of grant applications will be posted electronically each fiscal year and will be available online through https://www.Grants.gov. Solicitations for contracts will be announced, at later dates, online at FedBizOps. (FY 05 was the last year that CB discretionary grants were published in the Federal Register.) No proposals, concept papers or other forms of application should be submitted at this time. No acknowledgement will be made of the comments submitted in response to this notice, but all comments received by the deadline will be reviewed and given thoughtful consideration in the preparation of the final funding priorities for the announcements.

Pursuant to section 814 of the Native American Programs Act of 1974 (the Act) as amended by 42 U.S.C. 2992b-1, ANA herein describes its proposed interpretive rules and general statements of policy and rules of agency procedure or practice in relation to the Social and Economic Development Strategies (SEDS) Special Initiative Program Announcement: Improving the Well-Being of Children/Native American Healthy Marriage Initiative (NAHMI). Under the Act, ANA is required to provide members of the public an opportunity to comment on proposed changes in interpretive rules and general statements of policy and rules of agency procedure or practice and give notice of the final adoption of such changes at least thirty (30) days before the changes become effective. This Notice also provides additional information about ANA's plan for administering NAHMI.

Pursuant to Section 10(a) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act as amended (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2) notice is hereby given that the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities will hold its third quarterly meeting by telephone conference call to discuss items related to people with intellectual disabilities. The conference call will be open to the public to listen, with call-ins limited to the number of telephone lines available. Individuals who plan to call in and need special assistance, such as TTY, assistive listening devices, or materials in alternative format, should inform Ericka Alston, Executive Assistant, President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, Telephone202-619-0634, Fax202-205- 9519, E-mail: ealston@acf.hhs.gov, no later than November 30, 2005. Efforts will be made to meet special requests received after that date, but availability of special needs accommodations to respond to these requests cannot be guaranteed. This notice is being published less than 15 days prior to the conference call due to scheduling problems. Agenda: The Committee plans to discuss the Social Security Administration's proposed amendments to the Ticket to Work and Self- Sufficiency Program, the Employer Work Incentive Act for Individuals with Severe Disabilities and an update on the Medicaid Commission. The Honorable Martin H. Gerry, Deputy Commissioner, Disability and Income Security Programs, Social Security Administration, and John D. Kemp, attorney and advocate for people with disabilities, will be guest speakers.

On February 9, 2005, the Office of Community Services, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published an announcement seeking applications for the Assets for Independence Demonstration Program. The announcement appeared in Volume 70, pages 6879-6888 of the Federal Register. This document announces a change in the application receipt requirements. To be considered timely for all application due dates, applications now must be received at the OCS Operations Center no later than the due dates. The Program Announcement for Assets for Independence Demonstration Program is a standing announcement. It is effective until canceled or changed by the Office of Community Services (OCS). Applicants may submit applications at any time throughout the year. OCS will review and make funding decisions about applications submitted by any of three due dates: March 15, June 15, and November 1. (If a date falls on a weekend, the due date will be the following Monday.) For example, starting in mid-March annually, OCS will review all applications submitted November 2 through March 15. Starting in early June, OCS will review all applications submitted March 16 through June 15. And, starting in early November, OCS will review all applications submitted June 16 through November 1. Unsuccessful applicants may submit a new application in any succeeding application period. (1) Under Section IV.3. Submission Dates and Times Please Delete the following: Explanation of Due Dates The closing time and date for receipt of applications is referenced above. Mailed applications postmarked after the closing date will be classified as late. Deadline: Mailed applications shall be considered as meeting an announced deadline if they are either received on or before the deadline date or sent on or before the deadline date and received by ACF in time for the independent review referenced in Section IV.6. Applicants must ensure that a legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark or a legibly dated, machine produced postmark of a commercial service is affixed to the envelope/package containing the application(s). To be acceptable of proof of timely mailing, a postmark from a commercial mail service must include the logo/emblem of the commercial mail service company from the applicant. Private Metered postmarks shall not be acceptable as proof of timely mailing. (Applicants are cautioned that express/overnight mail services do not always deliver as agreed.) Please Replace the deleted paragraphs under Section IV.3. Submission Dates and Times with the following: Explanation of Due Dates The closing time and date for receipt of applications is referenced above. Applications received after 4:30 p.m., eastern time, on the closing date will be classified as late and will not be considered in the current competition. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that applications are mailed or submitted electronically well in advance of the application due date. (Applicants are cautioned that express/overnight mail services do not always deliver as agreed.) All information in this Notice of amendment is accurate and replaces information specified in the February 9, 2005 Notice. Announcement Availability: The Assets for Independence Demonstration Program announcement and all application materials are available at https://www.Grants.gov. Standard forms and certifications may also be found at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofs/forms.htm. Finally, the OCS Asset Building Web site at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ assetbuilding provides much information about the Assets for Independence Demonstration Program and the application process. The page includes links to all required forms as well as to a guidebook for developing an AFI Project and applying for an AFI grant.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) will be holding a one-day Tribal Consultation Session on December 6, 2005, at the Wyndham Hotel (California Grand Ball Room) in Palm Springs, California.

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) created and expanded State and Federal title IV-D child support enforcement databases and significantly enhanced access to information for title IV-D child support purposes. States are moving toward integrated service delivery and developing enterprise architecture initiatives to link their program databases. This proposed rule is designed to prescribe requirements for: State Parent Locator Service responses to authorized location requests; and State IV-D agency safeguarding of confidential information and authorized disclosures of this information. This proposed rule would restrict the use of confidential data and information to child support purposes, with exceptions for certain disclosures permitted by statute.

The Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB), herein announces the awarding of twenty- eight urgent grant awards in order to enable seventeen Mentoring Children of Prisoner Programs and eleven Training and Technical Assistance providers to respond immediately to hurricane disaster evacuee needs in their States and local communities. The effects of Hurricane Katrina have disrupted the ability of the children whose parents are incarcerated to receive mentoring services due to their forced relocation throughout the nation. As a result, FYSB's network of mentoring grantees and training and technical assistance providers are uniquely positioned to respond to the increase in the numbers of children of incarcerated parents arriving in their new communities. The following agencies are receiving grant funds for a twelve month project period: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Heart, Macon, Georgia, in the amount of $95,000; State of Alabama Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board, Montgomery, Alabama, in the amount of $50,000; YMCA of Greater Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, in the amount of $50,000; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mississippi, Jackson, Mississippi, in the amount of $95,000; Family and Children's Agency, Inc., Norwalk, Connecticut, in the amount of $21,350; America on Track of Santa Ana, California in the amount of $95,000; Volunteers in Prevention, Probation and Prisons, Detroit, Michigan, in the amount of $95,000; Centerforce, Inc. of San Rafael, California in the amount of $63,170; Big Brothers Big sisters of Boone County, Columbia, Missouri, in the amount of $95,000; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentucky, Louisville, Kentucky, in the amount of $95,000; Rhode Islanders Sponsoring Education, Providence, Rhode Island, in the amount of $13,900; Mississippi Gulf Coast YMCA, Ocean Springs, Mississippi, in the amount of $99,553; Families Under Urban and Social Attacks, Houston, Texas, in the amount of $56,250; Big Buddy Program, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in the amount of $90,000; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, in the amount of $95,000; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri, St. Louis, Missouri, in the amount of $95,000; Pima Prevention Partnership, Tucson, Arizona, in the amount of $33,936; The University of Oklahoma National Resource Center for Youth Services, Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the amount of $700,000; Mid-Atlantic Network of Youth and Family Services, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the amount of $100,000; Youth Network Council, Chicago, Illinois, in the amount of $100,000; Southeastern Network of Youth and Family Services, Bonita Springs, Florida, in the amount of $100,000; Empire State Coalition of Youth and Family Services, New York, New York, in the amount of $100,000; Northwest Network of Runaway and Youth Services, Seattle, Washington, in the amount of $100,000; Western States Youth Services Network, Petaluma, California, in the amount of $100,000; New England Network for Child, Youth and Family Services, Burlington, Vermont, in the amount of $100,000; Southwest Network of Youth Services, Austin, Texas, in the amount of $100,000; Mountain Plains Network for Youth, Bismarck, North Dakota, in the amount of $100,000; MINK Network of Runaway and Homeless Youth Services, Lenexa, Kansas, in the amount of $65,000. The seventeen Mentoring Children of Prisoners Programs will be responsible for reconnecting or establishing new mentoring relationships with evacuated children of incarcerated persons in their new communities. In addition to the seventeen Mentoring Children of Prisoners Programs being funded, the Family and Youth Services Bureau is funding eleven Training and Technical Assistance providers that will provide specialized technical assistance to the Mentoring Children of Prisoners Program grantees in their respective regions. The eleven Training and Technical Assistance Providers are well positioned to assist the seventeen Mentoring Children of Prisoners Programs in identifying children of incarcerated persons who are new to a community, developing a plan to provide them with mentoring support and coordinating services with other programs, Federal staff and their contractors.