Proposed Information Collection Activity; Office of Child Care Data Collection for ACF-218: FFY 2021 Quality Progress Report (QPR)

AGENCY:

Office of Child Care, Administration for Children and Families, HHS.

ACTION:

Request for public comment.

SUMMARY:

The Office of Child Care (OCC) is requesting a 1-year extension of the form ACF-218: Quality Progress Report (QPR) (OMB #0970-0517, expiration 9/30/2021). There are minor changes requested to the form related to COVID-19 pandemic supplemental funding increases.

DATES:

Comments due within 60 days of publication. In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ACF is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the information collection described above.

ADDRESSES:

The proposed collection of information will be posted at www.acf.hhs.gov/occ. Comments may be submitted by emailing infocollection@acf.hhs.gov. Alternatively, a copy can also be obtained by emailing infocollection@acf.hhs.gov. All requests should be identified by the title of the information collection.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Description: Lead Agencies are required to spend a certain percent of their Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) awards on activities to improve the quality of child care. Lead Agencies are also required to invest in at least 1 of 10 allowable quality activities included in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014. In order to ensure that states and territories are meeting these requirements, the CCDBG Act and the CCDF final rule require Lead Agencies to submit an annual report that describes how quality funds were expended. The CCDF final rule named this the QPR. The report must describe how quality funds were expended, including what types of activities were funded and measures used to evaluate progress in improving the quality of child care programs and services. The QPR increased transparency on quality spending and will continue to gather detailed information on how states and territories are spending their quality funds, as well as more specific data points to reflect the requirements in the CCDBG Act and the CCDF final rule. The annual data provided by the QPR will be used to describe how lead agencies are spending a significant investment per year to key stakeholders, including Congress, federal, state and territory administrators, providers, parents, and the public.

Specifically, this report will be used to:

• Ensure accountability and transparency for the use of CCDF quality funds, including a set-aside for quality infant and toddler care and the stabilization grants funded by the American Rescue Plan Act funding;
• Track progress toward meeting state- and territory-set indicators and benchmarks for improvement of child care quality based on goals and activities described in CCDF Plans;
• Understand efforts to progress towards all child care settings meeting the developmental needs of children; and
• Inform federal technical assistance efforts and decisions regarding strategic use of quality funds.

Respondents: State and territory CCDF lead agencies (56).

Comments: 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.

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 9858.