OMB is filing
comment on this ICR which is part of a proposed rule. Approval is
not granted at this time. ACF should resubmit this ICR in
conjunction with the final proposed rule. Previous terms of
clearance remain in effect.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
08/31/2008
36 Months From Approved
08/31/2008
2
0
2
309,077
0
309,077
0
0
0
The existing regulation at 45 CFR
1355.40 sets forth the requirements of section 479 of the Social
Security Act for the collection of uniform, reliable information on
children who are under the responsibility of the State title
IV-B/IV-E agency for placement, care, and adoption. The proposed
rule expands upon the existing data collection requirements and
institutes new penalties consistent with section 474(f) of the law.
Specifically, the data collection system is to provide
comprehensive national information on the demographic
characteristics of adopted and foster children and their parents;
the status of the foster care population; the number and
characteristics of children placed in or removed from foster care;
children adopted or with respect to whom adoptions have been
terminated, and children placed in foster care outside the State
which has placement and care responsibility; and the extent and
nature of assistance provided by government adoption and foster
care programs and the characteristics of the children to whom such
assistance is provided. The respondents are the State child welfare
agencies, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The
purpose of the data collected is to inform State/Federal policy
decisions, program management, respond to Congressional and
Departmental inquiries. Specifically, the data is used for
short/long-term budget projections, trend analysis, and to target
areas for improved technical assistance. The data will provide
information about foster care placements, adoptive parents, length
of time in care, delays in termination of parental rights and
placement for adoption.
The burden hours focus on data
collection for children in care at the start of the year, those who
entered and those children who exited care. The estimated number of
burden hours has increased from previous year estimates due to more
children that will be included in the reporting population, and due
to an increase in the amount of information being requested in the
proposed regulation. The proposed regulation includes the addition
of new information that may not be currently included in a State's
information system. While States may collect the information in
some format for their own purposes, the proposed regulation will
require the automated collection and reporting of this information
to the Federal government for the first time. The increase in hour
burden reflects additional State time spent in recording this new
information. The change in the costs to States is primarily related
to information technology staff time for programming the extraction
program code to meet the proposed requirements in the rule. There
also will be system modifications required in some States for the
collection of some of the new information. Most of the costs will
be one-time start-up expenses. The change in the total number of
responses is due to changes in the way of calculating the number of
responses. The previous information collection only indicated 2
responses, which represents the number of times per year the AFCARS
data are required to be submitted. The 104 responses now being used
is arrived at by multiplying the number of respondents (52) by the
number of times per year that the respondents submit the data
(2).
$26,616,400
No
No
Uncollected
Uncollected
Uncollected
Uncollected
Robert Sargis
2026907275
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Adoption Assistance & Subsidery Data File