Request for Assistance for
Child Victims of Human Trafficking
Revision of a currently approved collection
No
Regular
07/07/2021
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
07/31/2021
1,200
800
1,200
800
0
0
The Trafficking Victims Protection Act
(TVPA) of 2000, as amended, directs the Secretary of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), upon receipt of
credible information that a foreign national minor may have been
subjected to a severe form of trafficking in persons and is seeking
assistance available to victims of trafficking, to promptly
determine if the child is eligible for benefits and services to the
same extent as refugees. In 2015 HHS delegated this authority to
the Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP). OTIP developed a form
(RFA, OMB Control Number 0970-0362) for case managers, attorneys,
law enforcement officers, child welfare workers, and other
representatives to report these trafficking concerns to HHS in
accordance with the TVPA of 2000, as amended, and allow for OTIP to
review the concerns and determine eligibility for benefits. The
form asks the requester for their identifying information,
identifying information for the foreign national minor, and
information describing the potential trafficking concerns. The
information provided through the completion of the RFA form enables
OTIP to make prompt determinations regarding a foreign national
minor’s eligibility for assistance, facilitate the required
consultation process should the minor receive interim assistance,
and enables OTIP to assess and address potential child protection
issues. The form takes into consideration the need to compile
information regarding a child’s circumstances and experiences in a
non-directive, child-friendly way, and assists the potential
requester in assessing whether the child may have been subjected to
a severe form of trafficking in persons. Finally, the form allows
OTIP to provide uniform and consistent guidance to those
representing potential victims about how to request assistance for
a child with potential trafficking concerns. Without a form, OTIP
would be limited to notifying potential requesters about the
assistance the law permits and providing a phone number or email
address at OTIP for further information. An OTIP Child Protection
Specialist would then have to describe to each potential requester
the information sought in the form, which would likely require
multiple follow-up calls, and possibly multiple interviews with the
child, which could cause retraumatization. Furthermore, the absence
of a form to collect information necessary to process an RFA could
result in errors in the information collection causing a child that
should be eligible for benefits and services as a victim of
trafficking to be denied access to assistance.
US Code:
22 USC 7105 (b) Name of Law: Trafficking Victims Protection Act
of 2000 (TVPA), as amended
The number of requests for
assistance received by OTIP is impacted by a variety of social,
political, and environmental factors that fluctuate each year. When
the RFA form was originally submitted for clearance in FY18, OTIP
based its estimated number of respondents by averaging the number
of requests received over the previous three fiscal years Based on
experience since approval in FY18, OTIP has increased the estimated
number of respondents to 1200. The estimated time per response
remains the same. The minor revisions made to the form, as
described below, do not impact the overall time required to respond
but do enable OTIP to better fulfill its mandate in accordance with
the TVPA of 2000, as amended. These revisions allow OTIP to be more
responsive to congressional inquiries, federal reporting
requirements, and the needs of victims, as the information provided
is factored into policy and program development efforts.
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.
Form 1 Request for Assistance for Child Victims of Human Trafficking
RFA Supporting Statement B_7.1.21.docx
Request for Assistance for Child Victims of Human Trafficking