The National Technical Assistance Center for
Preschool Development Grants B-5
Parent and Early Childhood Professional Partner Groups
Formative Data Collections for Program Support
0970 – 0531
Supporting Statement
Part A - Justification
June 2023
Submitted By:
Office of Early Childhood Development
Administration for Children and Families
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
4th Floor, Mary E. Switzer Building
330 C Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20201
A1. Necessity for the Data Collection
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) seeks approval to collect information for the recruitment of parents/family members/ guardians and early childhood care and education professionals to participate in two national partner groups facilitated by the National Technical Assistance Center for Preschool Development Grants B-5 (PDG B-5 TA Center), and for proposed questions to be asked at initial meetings of the groups.
In an effort to embed the President’s Executive Order (EO), on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government (EO 13985 and the Presidential Memorandum on Restoring Trust in Government through Scientific Integrity and Evidence-Based Policy Making, the Office of Early Childhood Development has contracted with Manhattan Strategy Group as the PDG B-5 TA Center to implement training and technical assistance activities that support states and territories in implementing their PDG B-5 grants. As an additional support to the Office of Early Childhood Development, the PDG B-5 TA Center is charged with establishing and supporting early care and education (ECCE) communications with external stakeholders, including parents and early childhood professionals of ACF ECCE programs.
Consistent with the referenced guidance documents listed above, and to ensure involvement with a variety of people, including parents and early childhood professionals with diverse experiences with ACF programs, the PDG B-5 TA Center will actively collect information to learn more about the early childhood program services and experiences of those who benefit from ACF funds. This information is necessary for ACF to gain a better understanding of processes, needs, and potential improvements related to ACF programs and associated services to inform ACF decision-making and program support.
There are no legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection. ACF is undertaking the collection at the discretion of the agency.
A2. Purpose of Survey and Data Collection Procedures
Overview of Purpose and Use
The information collected through the recruitment survey will be used to choose group members who reflect the wide range of families’ experiences with early childhood programs and services. Specifically, participants will be selected to ensure a representative group of family members and professionals from different parts of the country, with a range of racial and ethnic backgrounds, who are working within a variety of early childhood services and programs.
The purpose of the proposed questions for the initial meetings of the Partner Groups is to create a welcoming environment and set a tone of respect and interest for participant experience and perspectives, while beginning to gather lived experiences related to early childhood programs and services. Information collected will be used to support technical assistance plans, and materials that will assist PDG B-5 Grantees in enhancing state policies and procedures that result in improving the experiences of children and families in accessing ECCE programs and services, as well as improving ECCE professionals’ experiences while working within those same programs and services. Presentations based on the findings will be shared with federal leadership and staff, grantees, and other national T/TA professionals.
Delivery of T/TA and/or workflows related to program implementation or the development or refinement of program and grantee processes.
Obtaining feedback about processes and/or practices to inform ACF program development or support.
Requesting information about resources, programs, or other ACF services or related activities for those using or interested in ACF funded services, or those interested in systems, programs, or research related to ACF.
Processes for Information Collection
Participants will be recruited broadly through current PDG B-5 Grantees, and national parent and early childhood professional organizations. The Professional Selection Survey (Instrument 1a) and the Parent Selection Survey (Instrument 1b) will be distributed by multiple announcements by the TA Center and notifications to PDG B-5 grantees and family and early childhood professional organizations.
It is estimated that each Partner Group will be comprised of 20 members each. The selection surveys have been developed in consultation with the PDG B-5 TA center, their contractor, and reviewed by the Office of Early Childhood Development’s Equity Workgroup to ensure an equitable process and diversity in the recruitment of members with varying experiences and demographics. Each survey will be available in English and Spanish. The meetings will be conducted in English and interpretation will be provided for any participant who prefers interpretation in their native language.
Once participants have been recruited, the Partner Groups will meet virtually three - four times a year and will be facilitated and supported by a liaison hired by PDG B-5 contractor, as well as an interpreter, if needed. Proposed questions have been drafted for the first meeting (See Instrument 2a: Professional Partner Group Discussion Questions and Instrument 2b: Parent Partner Group Discussion Questions). Subsequent questions for discussion will be developed on an ongoing basis and dependent on leaderships, administrative or PDG B-5 grantee needs and priorities. Future discussion questions will be submitted as additional generic information collection requests.
At the end of each meeting and at the conclusion of the full set of meetings, we will assess the level of participation and effectiveness of each meeting to improve future meetings. We will also collect feedback from the participants on their perception of respectful and supportive meeting facilitation (see Instrument 3: Post-Working Partner Groups: Feedback on Participant Experiences).
A3. Improved Information Technology to Reduce Burden
The selection surveys will be completed and submitted online. Individuals who are interested in applying to participate in each of the Partner Groups will be required to submit a complete application online. Chosen participants will be required to have a form of high-speed electronic access (phone, laptop, tablets, etc.) in order to participate in each of the virtual meetings.
A4. Efforts to Identify Duplication
Information proposed to be collected through the Partner Groups is currently non-existent and is not collected elsewhere but will be collected for the specific purpose of supporting PDG B-5 grantees, and information on the experiences and utilization of ACF programs and services accessed by families and early childhood professionals working within those programs.
A5. Involvement of Small Organizations
The collection of information during each of the Partner Meetings will not impact small businesses.
A6. Consequences of Less Frequent Data Collection
This is a limited collection of information and data that will expand one year. Each of the Partner Groups will meet virtually up to four times. This decision was made based on knowledge and experience of the contractor, participant capacity and the anticipated inquiry by leadership or from the Integrated Project Team (IPT).
A7. Special Circumstances
There are no special circumstances for the proposed data collection efforts.
A8. Federal Register Notice and Consultation
Federal Register Notice and Comments
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR Part 1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 1995), ACF published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the agency’s intention to request an OMB review of this information collection request to extend approval of the umbrella generic with minor changes. The notice was published on January 28, 2022, (87 FR 4603), and provided a sixty-day period for public comment. ACF did not receive any comments on the first notice. A second notice was published, allowing a thirty-day period for public comment, in conjunction with submission of the request to OMB. ACF did not receive any comments on the second notice.
Consultation in the establishment and support of the ECCE External Parent and Professional Partner Groups has been limited to the staff in the Office of Early Childhood Development in coordination with the PDG B-5 Technical Assistance Center and their subcontractor Zero to Three (ZTT). Our team’s selection of professional participants will be reviewed by an advisory group of diverse early childhood experts to ensure a fair selection process.
A9. Tokens of Appreciation for Respondents
No tokens of appreciation for respondents are proposed for this information collection, but proposed compensation is identified below.
A10. Privacy of Respondents
Information collected will be kept private to the extent permitted by law. Respondents will be informed of all planned uses of data, that their participation is voluntary, and that their information will be kept private to the extent permitted by law.
Information will not be maintained in a paper or electronic system from which data are actually or directly retrieved by an individuals’ personal identifier.
A11. Sensitive Questions
There are no sensitive questions in this data collection.
A12. Estimation of Information Collection Burden
Burden Estimates
Based on the number of responses to similar outreach activities, we anticipate about 100 responses to each selection survey. Each selection survey is estimated to take an average of 10 minutes to complete.
Based on responses to the selection surveys, we will recruit up to twenty individuals to participate in each Partner Group. Each Partner Group meeting will consist of specific discussion questions, and each meeting will take no more than 60 minutes.
We will distribute a post-meeting feedback survey at the end of each meeting and at the conclusion of the full set of meetings. This survey is estimated to take an average of 2 minutes to complete.
Cost Estimates
The cost to respondents was calculated using information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For the parent partners, we used the median weekly earnings of full-time workers, which were $1,100 in the first quarter of 2023. ($1,100/40 = $27.50/hr.). To account for overhead and fringe benefits, we multiplied by 2 for an estimate of $55/hour.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics separates preschool teacher and child care teacher so for the professional partners, we are using the average of the two, since we will have both represented. (Average hourly salary of preschool teacher and child care teacher = $16.40). To account for overhead and fringe benefits, we multiplied by 2 for an estimate of $32.80/hour.
Estimated Burden and Costs to Respondents
Instrument |
Anticipated Total Number of Respondents |
Total Number of Responses Per Respondent |
Average Burden Hours Per Response |
Total Burden Hours |
Average Hourly Wage |
Total Annual Cost |
Selection Survey – Parent Partner Group
|
100 |
1 |
0.167 |
17 |
$55.00 |
$935.00 |
Selection Survey –Professionals Partner Group
|
100 |
1 |
0. 167 |
17 |
$32.80 |
$557.60 |
Discussion Questions – Parent Partner Group |
20 |
3 |
1 |
60 |
$55.00 |
$3,300.00 |
Discussion Questions –Professionals Partner Group |
20 |
3 |
1 |
60 |
$32.80 |
$1,968.00 |
Post-meeting Feedback Survey – Parent group |
20 |
3 |
0.03 |
1 |
$55.00 |
$55.00 |
Post-meeting Feedback Survey – Provider group |
20 |
3 |
0.03 |
1 |
$32.80 |
$32.80 |
Total |
|
|
|
156 |
|
$6,848.40 |
A13. Cost Burden to Respondents or Record Keepers
Executive Order (EO), Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government (EO 13985)[1] emphasizes consulting with communities that have been historically underserved by Federal policies and programs. The Presidential Memorandum on Restoring Trust in Government through Scientific Integrity and Evidence-Based Policy Making[2], as well as the ACF Evaluation Policy[3] discuss community engagement and inclusion in research. Consistent with these guidance documents, and to ensure involvement with a variety of people with diverse experiences and perspectives in the ECCE field, we plan to offer all participants an honorarium of $100 for their time spent providing their expertise and experience during the roundtable discussions. We expect participants to spend about one hour providing feedback during a roundtable discussion. Lived experience experts may participate in up to 3 discussions. We intend to provide the same amount to all participants because we value each participant’s expertise equally. This approach is supported by a recent brief from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, “Methods and Emerging Strategies to Engage People with Lived Experience”, as well as other recently published documents for similar lived experience groups1. Like an expert on economics or public health, parents are “contextual experts” about how programs and policies play out for their family and in their community. It is important that practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and funders compensate parents for their expertise. Parents take time off from work and rearrange family time to be thought partners; their time and expertise deserves appropriate compensation.
A14. Estimate of Cost to the Federal Government
The total cost for the data collection activities under this current request will be $6,848.40.
A15. Change in Burden
This is for an individual information collection under the umbrella formative generic clearance for program support (0970-0531).
A16. Plan and Time Schedule for Information Collection, Tabulation and Publication
Pending PRA approval, the proposed timeframe for the dissemination and receipt of selection surveys is within three weeks.
Two-tiered review of applications will take place within two weeks of receipt of survey responses.
The proposed first meeting will take place within two weeks of the selection of participants (target is the end of August)
Subsequent virtual meetings are preliminarily planned for October, November and January. Specific questions for those meetings will be submitted for review when available.
A final report will be produced by January 2024
Information gleaned from the meetings will inform the PDG B-5 TA Center and the Office of Early Childhood Development on how best to improve approaches in supporting states in the effective delivery of early childhood programs and services. The information shared at the meetings will be shared with others as directly as possible, to provide the most accurate reflection of the feedback received, to be used by TA Center staff as well as staff of state agencies who support early childhood programs and services. Findings will be shared in briefs and tool kits to support grantees in appropriate approaches to engaging parents and early childhood professionals in policy decisions.
A17. Reasons Not to Display OMB Expiration Date
All instruments will display the expiration date for OMB approval.
A18. Exceptions to Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions
No exceptions are necessary for this information collection.
Attachments
Selection Surveys
Instrument 1a: Professional Selection Survey
Instrument 1b: Parent Selection Survey
Initial Meeting Questions
Instrument 2a: Professional Partner Group Discussion Questions
Instrument 2b: Parent Partner Group Discussion Questions
Post-Meeting Feedback Questions
Instrument 3: Post-Working Partner Groups: Feedback on Participant Experiences.
1 Skelton-Wilson, S., et.al (2021). Methods and Emerging Strategies to Engage People with Lived Experience, Improving Federal Research, Policy, and Practice, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/47f62cae96710d1fa13b0f590f2d1b03/lived-experience-brief.pdf
Ascend: The Aspen Institute (2021). Principles for Engaging and Centering Parent Voice. https://ascend-resources.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Principles-for-Engaging-and-Centering-Parent-Voice.pdf
Hinkle, E., Kendall, J. R., Sandoval-Lunn, M., Stern, F., & Donier, J. (2022). A Starter Kit on Engaging People with Lived Experience in Child Support Programs, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child Support Enforcement. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ocse/engaging_starter_kit.pdf
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Title | OPRE OMB Clearance Manual |
| Author | DHHS |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2023-07-29 |