77 FR 207 pgs. 65194-65195 - Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request
Type: NOTICEVolume: 77Number: 207Pages: 65194 - 65195
FR document: [FR Doc. 2012-26314 Filed 10-24-12; 8:45 am]
Agency: Health and Human Services Department
Sub Agency: Administration for Children and Families
Official PDF Version: PDF Version
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request
Proposed Projects:
Title: Child Care and Development Fund Financial Report (ACF 696) for States and Territories
OMB No.: 0970-0163
Description: States and Territories use the Financial Report Form ACF-696 to report Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) expenditures. Authority to collect and report this information is found in section 658G of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990, as revised. In addition to the Program Reporting Requirements set forth in 45 CFR part 98, subpart H, the regulations at 45 CFR 98.65(g) and 98.67(c)(1) authorize the Secretary to require financial reports as necessary.
The form provides specific data regarding claims and provides a mechanism for States to request Child Care grant awards and to certify the availability of State matching funds. Failure to collect this data would seriously compromise ACF's ability to monitor Child Care and Development Fund expenditures. This information is also used to estimate outlays and may be used to prepare ACF budget submissions to Congress.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, (Pub. L. 111-5) provides an additional $2 billion for the Child Care and Development Fund to help States, Territories, and Tribes provide child care assistance to low income working families. CCDF Program Instruction (CCDF-ACF-PI-2009-03) provided guidance on ARRA spending requirements.
Section 1512 of the ARRA legislation requires recipients to report quarterly spending and performance data on the public Web site, "Recovery.gov". Federal agencies are required to collect ARRA expenditure data and performance data and these data must be clearly distinguishable from the regular CCDF (non-ARRA) funds. To ensure transparency and accountability, the ARRA authorizes Federal agencies and grantees to track and report separately on expenditures from funds made available by the stimulus bill. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance implementing the ARRA legislation indicates that agencies requiring additional information for oversight should rely on existing authorities and reflect these requirements in their award terms and conditions as necessary, following existing procedures. Therefore, to capture ARRA expenditures, the ACF-696 has been modified (by the addition of a column) for reporting ARRA expenditure data. In addition, a new data element will ask States and Territories to estimate the number of child service months funded with ARRA dollars. The collection will not duplicate other information.
Respondents: States and Territories.
| Instrument | Number of respondents | Number of responses per respondent | Average burden hours per response | Total burden hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACF-696 | 56 | 4 | 5 | 1,120 |
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,120.
In compliance with the requirements of Section 506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Administration for Children and Families is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the information collection described above. Copies of the proposed collection of information can be obtained and comments may be forwarded by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW., Washington, DC 20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer. Email address: infocollection@acf.hhs.gov. All requests should be identified by the title of the information collection.
The Department specifically requests comments on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Consideration will be given to comments and suggestions submitted within 60 days of this publication.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-26314 Filed 10-24-12; 8:45 am]
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