Appendix B: 60-Day FRN Public Comment 1

STATE OF WASHINGTON

DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES
P.O. Box 40970, Olympia, Washington 98504-0970
(360) 725-4665 • FAX (360) 413-3482

March 22, 2020

Administration for Children and Families
Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE)
330 C Street SW
Washington, DC 20201
Attn: OPRE Reports Clearance Officer
Re: Proposed Information Collection Activity; Family Level Assessment and State of Home
Visiting (FLASH–V) Outreach and Recruitment Study (New Collection)

Dear OPRE Reports Clearance Officer,
The Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) thanks you for the
opportunity to provide input on the proposed Family Level Assessment and State of Home
Visiting (FLASH–V) Outreach and Recruitment Study. Our public comment submission consists
of clarifying questions and considerations after reviewing the federal register notice and
corresponding tools.
Clarifying Questions:
 What additional financial resources will be provided to local implementing agencies
(LIAs) for time spent on this work? Our understanding is that programs selected for the
MIS portion will receive $2,500. Will additional incentives be available to other
participants and community partners?
 For the interview portions of the study, will these be remote or in-person? If in-person
participation is expected, will travel be reimbursed?
 What will happen with the data collected and how will it be shared back with LIAs and
state grantees? How will the data be protected and anonymity provided when only a few
LIAs may ultimately participate in each state?
Considerations:
 Currently, the process and language within tools and surveys could feel punitive and
LIAs may feel singled out for being chronically under enrolled. Consider a strengths





based interview protocol with materials explaining the purpose and scope of the project
give that it is voluntary.
Additional concerns exist on how this project and its purpose will be conveyed in
interviews with community referral partners, especially those partners who may feel that
they are contributing to the low enrollment of an LIA due to an issue on their end.
Washington is curious as to why LIAs whom have continuous high enrollment and strong
referral partners are not currently included in this study as an opportunity for comparison.
Perhaps those learnings could support under enrolled LIAs.
Washington strongly prefers that the project staff work directly with the national models
for data on participating LIAs, given that reports available in model data systems for
LIAs to access are often inaccurate. Considering what is being asked of LIAs in the MIS
portion of the study, additional estimated burden hours would need to be added if LIAs
are to work with state level data staff to provide this data. This portion of the work also
has the potential to be twice as time intensive, and some models do not collect certain
elements being requested.

If you need additional information or have any questions, do not hesitate to call me at
360.725.4410 or email Courtney.Jiles@dcyf.wa.gov.
Sincerely,

Courtney Jiles
MIECHV Lead Administrator
Department of Children, Youth, and Families
cc:

Laura Alfani, Strengthening Families Administrator, Dept. of Children, Youth, and
Families
Judy King, Director of Family Support, Dept. of Children, Youth, and Families