Change Request – PDG B-5 Renewal Grant Annual PPR

To: Kelsi Feltz

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

From: Ann Stock

Office of Early Childhood Development (ECD)

Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

Date: May 15, 2023

Subject: Change Request –PDG B-5 Renewal Grant Annual Performance Progress Report (OMB #0970-0490)

This memo requests approval of changes to the approved information collection, PDG B-5 Renewal Grant Annual Performance Progress Report (OMB #0970-0490).

Background

PDG B-5 Renewal Grants fund states to invest in strategies that support and strengthen the early care and education (ECE) workforce, enhance ECE program quality, and expand access to early childhood services for children, particularly in high-need communities and for populations who have been historically marginalized. In 2022, ACF made significant revisions to the PDG B-5 program, through revisions to the notice of funding opportunity (NOFO), and this revised PDG B-5 Renewal Grant APPR tool will enable ACF to collect information from PDG B-5 grant recipients on their progress towards addressing the key priorities detailed in the NOFO. The current data collection instrument collects broad, qualitative data on progress of implementation of PDG B-5 grants. The proposed revisions will enable ACF to collect more granular quantitative data, better aligned with current policy priorities, to better assess the PDG B-5 program’s reach and impact and help ACF to better understand the extent to which PDG B-5 grant recipients are advancing key program priorities.

Overview of Requested Changes

The revised APPR instrument is tailored to the specific goals and objectives of the PDG B-5 Renewal grants, and includes new quantitative measures of grant recipients’ progress, instead of an exclusive focus on collecting narrative information, though much of the requested quantitative data is optional, to reflect respondents’ varying levels of readiness to report quantitative data at the program or individual level.

The revisions reflect ACF’s increased focus on addressing equity and asks respondents to describe their efforts to reach underserved and historically marginalized communities and populations. The revisions also minimize the extent to which respondents are reporting on progress on their grant implementation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, the instrument provides several definitions to support respondents in completing the requested data collection.

The revised instrument is broken out into five sections, with one or more question under each: A. Strengthening the Early Care and Education (ECCE) workforce; B. Expanding Access to High Quality ECCE through Subgrants; C. Improving ECCE Program Quality; D. Engaging Families and Increasing Family Voice and Choice in Systems and Program Decisions; and E. PDG B-5 Program Implementation and Systems Coordination.

Key Topic/Theme1	Revised Instrument	Previous Instrument	Notes About Proposed Changes
Strengthening ECCE Workforce	PMs 1-5 to collect key information on how grant funds support the ECCE workforce. Builds on prior instrument which only briefly asked about workforce efforts.	PM5 makes brief reference to initiatives to support the ECCE workforce in the context of improving program quality.	Revised instrument includes more extensive information, given the significant needs of the ECCE workforce, and the increased focus on the workforce in PDG program implementation.
Expanding Access to ECCE	PMs 6-9 to collect information on the extent to which recipients used grant funds to expand access to high-quality ECCD services, including for specific subgroups, such as infants and toddlers, underserved/vulnerable children, children with/at risk for disabilities, etc.	PM4 addresses how grant funds are used to develop recommendations to better use resources to serve more children.	Revised instrument shifts emphasis from developing recommendations to serving more children.
Improving ECCE program quality	PM10 collects information on what specific approaches recipients have used to improve program quality.	PM5 addresses how grant funds helped improve program quality (narrative), and how services have been maintained in the context of COVID.	Revised instrument removes COVID references and shifts toward collecting information on specific quality improvement strategies.
Engaging families and increasing family voice	PMs 11-12 collects information on how grant funds were used to engage families as leaders and maximize parent and family choice, and how many family representatives have been engaged as leaders.	PM6 addresses how grant funds have helped maximize family choice.	Revised instrument collects more detailed information on # of representatives engaged.
Strengthening ECCE systems	PM13 addresses how grant funds are used to support the state ECCE system – closely aligned with previous instrument PM1	PM1 addresses how grant funds were used to support the state ECCE system; similar to revised instrument PM13.
Coordination and referral	PM14 addresses how grant funds improve the coordination and delivery of ECCE services, including coordinated applications and eligibility.	PMs 2-3 address how grant funds more efficiently leverage existing funding streams and improve coordination of services.
State integrated data systems	PM15 addresses how grant funds strengthen/expand the state’s integrated data system.	PM8 addresses how grant funds improve data coordination and sharing; similar to revised instrument PM15.
Equity	PM5 addresses how grant funds supported ECCE educators in marginalized/underserved communities. PM6 addresses how grant funds served more children and families, including underserved or vulnerable children. PM9 addresses how grant funds expanded access to ECCE programs in marginalized/underserved communities. PM16 addresses coordination and referral of families and caregivers from underserved groups or communities.	PM7 addresses how grant funds helped enhance school readiness for disadvantaged families and supported transition to school.
Program Performance Evaluation Plan	N/A – Removed emphasis.	PM9 addresses how grant funds supported the Program Performance Evaluation Plan.	Revised instrument removed this item, as progress on this plan is still required and valuable, but not statutorily required or a key program priority.
COVID-19	N/A – Removed emphasis.	Emphasized in PMs 4, 5, 7.	Revised instrument removed emphasis given the conclusion of the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Time Sensitivities

Approval as soon as possible is necessary to ensure that PDG B-5 Renewal Grant recipients have access to final information collection instrument prior to the beginning of the 2023 annual performance reporting period. In addition, performance reporting on recipient progress toward the goals and priorities of the PDG B-5 Renewal Grants begins in January 2024, and a finalized tool to support data collection is needed prior to that date.

1 NOTE: This column does not intend to align with the Sections in the revised instrument; this column refers to the significant themes or topics that are addressed through either the previous or revised instruments.

2