NonSub Change - FACES Spring 2022: Remove In-Person Observations

To: Jordan Cohen

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

From: Alysia Blandon

Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE)

Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

Date: February 8, 2022

Subject: NonSubstantive Change Request – Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES 2019) (OMB #0970-0151)

This memo requests approval of nonsubstantive changes to the approved information collection, Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES 2019) (OMB #0970-0151).

Background

The Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF) FACES study periodically collects nationally representative information about Head Start programs, their staff, and the children and families they serve to inform program planning and technical assistance and enable research. A full request package specific to the spring 2022 data collection was approved on December 21, 2021. FACES spring 2022 recruitment was underway, but due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, the project team has realized that in-person data collection will not be feasible.

Overview of Requested Changes

ACF has decided to cancel spring 2022 classroom observation data collection, since these were planned to be in-person. We have updated recruitment instruments and respondent materials to remove references to classroom observation and in-person data collection. All proposed changes fit within the general purpose of the FACES data collection and the intended uses of FACES data overall. The following have been updated:

• Special telephone script and recruitment information collection for program directors, Regions I–X (Attachment 23)

• Special telephone script and recruitment information collection for on-site coordinators, Regions I–X (Attachment 25)

• Appendix R: FACES and AIAN FACES 2019 special program information packages

• Supporting Statements A and B

Time Sensitivities

Recruitment of programs for participation in FACES spring 2022 data collection was underway at the time of the cancelation of in-person spring data collection. Recruitment will resume upon approval of this nonsubstantive change. Completing recruitment is necessary prior to the start of teacher sampling, which is scheduled to begin in March 2022.