Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Proposed Projects

Title: Building Strong Families Demonstration and Evaluation—Baseline Information.

OMB No.: New Collection.

Description: The proposed information collection activity is for baseline information during eligibility screening and enrollment in local programs participating in the Building Strong Families (BSF) evaluation. The BSF evaluation is an important opportunity to learn if well-designed interventions can help low-income couples develop the knowledge and relationship skills that research has shown are associated with healthy marriages. BSF programs will provide instruction and support to improve marriage and relationship skills and enhance couples' understanding of marriage. In addition, BSF programs will provide links to a variety of other services that could help couples sustain a healthy relationship (e.g., employment assistance). The evaluation's goal is to include a maximum of six programs that will add a BSF component to existing services and enroll into the evaluation approximately 2,000 couples into each program, i.e., 1,000 couples randomly assigned to participate in BSF services and 1,000 couples in the control group, for a total of 12,000 couples (24,000 individuals). The evaluation will assess the net impact of the BSF interventions on these two groups.

Respondents: The respondents for the baseline data collection will be low-income, unmarried, expectant or recent parents who volunteer to participate in the evaluation. (Some couples may have been recently married since the conception of their child.) There will be four forms used in the baseline data collection: (1) The Mother/Father Eligibility Checklist; (2) the Consent to Participate in the BSF Study Form; (3) the Baseline Information Form; and (4) the Contact Information Form. The Mother/Father Eligibility Checklist will be used by program staff to determine if respondents meet the minimum requirements for participating in the BSF program. We estimate that about 25 percent of couples interviewed will meet the eligibility criteria for the program. The Consent to Participate in the BSF Study Form explains in detail the design of the evaluation, the process for selection, and the results of agreeing to participate in the study (e.g., being contacted for follow-up information). The Baseline Information Form collects basic demographic information about respondents, as well as brief information concerning pregnancies and births, family structure, employment and income, and emotional well-being, all of which is relevant for the study. The Contact Information Form gathers information on friends and relatives who can assist in locating respondents based on respondents' agreements to participate in follow-up surveys that will be conducted many months later. All forms will be administered to both members of the couples by BSF program staff members. The forms will be administered in a number of different settings, but we anticipate the two most common will be in hospitals, following the birth of children, and in the mother's/father's home shortly after births.

In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Administration for Children and Families is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the information collection described above. Copies of the proposed collection of information can be obtained and comments may be forwarded by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Administration, Office of Information Services, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer, E-mail address: grjohnson@acf.hhs.gov. Al requests should be identified by the title of the information collection.

The Department specifically requests comments on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Consideration will be given to comments and suggestions submitted within 60 days of this publication.