NonSub - DSUR Consistency Update

To: Kelsi Feltz

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

From: Anne F. Bergan

Office of Early Childhood Development

Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

Date: July 29, 2024

Subject: NonSubstantive Change Request – Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Data Reports: Demographic and Service Utilization Data Report (OMB #0970-0614)

This memo requests approval of nonsubstantive changes to the approved information collection, Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (Tribal MIECHV) Data Reports: Demographic and Service Utilization Data Report (DSUR) (OMB #0970-0614).

Background

The Tribal MIECHV DSUR is designed to collect demographic and service utilization data to ensure grantees are serving families that are the most in need of home visiting services including data on the number of newly enrolled and continuing participants, educational level and poverty status of participants, education level of staff and number of home visits. On August 11, 2023, the DSUR was approved by OMB with an expiration date of 8/31/2026. A need for clarification was recently discovered. The description for Table 1(a): Pregnant Participants Who Remained in the Program After Giving Birth During the Reporting Period in the body of the report is worded differently than the definition at the back of the document in the Instructions and Definitions of Key Terms. This non-substantive change will reduce inconsistencies in reporting and is in alignment with the way grantees currently collect data for this indicator.

Overview of Requested Changes

The proposed change is to change the Table 1(a) description to match the definition: from "Number of pregnant participants who gave birth during the reporting period and were still enrolled at the end of the reporting period" to "Number of pregnant participants who received at least one home visit after giving birth during the reporting period."

This change would clarify reporting requirements for grantees by decreasing confusion and aligning the table description on page 3 with the Instructions and Definitions of Key Terms on Page 16. We do not think this minor change would constitute a change in burden for grantees since it is the clarification of an error. The definition already exists in the form, it just needs to be made consistent throughout. 

Time Sensitivities

Two cohorts of Tribal MIECHV grant recipients are currently preparing to submit their DSUR data by 10/1/24. We are requesting this change be made as soon as possible, as it will assist these grantees with their preparations with a clearer, more precise definition of pregnant participants to more accurately report Table 1(a) data.