Change Justification Memo - 2013 Demonstration

United States

Department of

Agriculture

Food and

Nutrition

Service

3101 Park

Center Drive

Alexandria, VA

22302-1500

TO: Julie Wise, OMB Desk Officer

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs

Office of Management and Budget

THROUGH: Ruth Brown, Desk Officer

United States Department of Agriculture

Office of Chief Information Office

FROM: Lynnette Williams

Branch Chief, Planning & Regulatory Affairs

Food and Nutrition Service

SUBJECT: Justification for Increase in Burden Hours to OMB Control No: 0584-0559

Evaluation of the Impact of the Household-Based Summer Demonstrations on Food Insecurity Among Children (SEBTC)

Through this memorandum, we are requesting a non-substantive change to the burden estimates for SEBTC Demonstration, under the Information Collection Request (ICR), OMB Control No. 0584-0559, which was approved on March 28, 2011.

This study examines how the provision of summer food benefits to the households of children certified for free or reduced-price school meals impacts the prevalence of very low food security among children certified for free or reduced-price meals. 

The first year of the SEBTC Demonstration, 2011, was a proof-of-concept period. In the second year of the demonstration, the Agency tested the effect of a $60 SEBTC benefit on the reduction of very low food insecurity among children (VLFS-C). This request, for a non-substantive revision, requests additional burden hours to conduct the same test that was conducted in 2012, but with half the benefit level ($30 SEBTC benefit). The Agency seeks to test if a comparable positive impact can be obtained at half the benefit level.

No new instruments or statistical methodology is being introduced. The 2013 test would be conducted with SEBTC Households (existing respondent type) using the currently approved Questionnaire.

Results from 2011 and 2012 have been very encouraging.  An additional test in 2013 will reveal whether similar impacts can be obtained at reduced cost with a lower benefit level. These evaluations are intended to provide policymakers with rigorous and timely findings to make decisions about potential changes to Federal summer feeding programs during the next Child Nutrition reauthorization cycle. 

The currently approved burden hours are:
		Estimated # Respondents	Responses Per Respondent	Total Annual Responses (Col. BxC)	Estimated Avg. # of Hours Per Response		Estimated Total Hours (Col. DxE)
	Total Reporting Burden	46,175	.66	30,672	.52		15,974
	TOTAL BURDEN FOR #0584-0559	46,175	.66	30,672	.52		15,974
The revised burden hours are:
		Estimated # Respondents	Responses Per Respondent	Total Annual Responses (Col. BxC)	Estimated Avg. # of Hours Per Response		Estimated Total Hours (Col. DxE)
	Parents: 2013 SEBTC Households	18,000	2	36,000	0.5		18,000
	Parents: 2013 SEBTC Households (non-respondents)	8,000	2	16,000	0.05		800
	Requested Increase to Reporting Burden	26,000	2	52,000	.35		18,800
	Existing Reporting Burden	46,175	.66	30,672	.52		15,974
	TOTAL BURDEN FOR #0584-0559	72,175	1.14	82,672	.41		34,774

If you have any questions regarding this request, please contact Lynnette Williams, Branch Chief for the Food and Nutrition Service, Planning & Regulatory Affairs Branch at (703) 605-4782.

 

 

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