Grants to States for Access and Visitation
OMB Information Collection Request
0970 - 0204
Supporting Statement Part A - Justification
March 2024
Type of Request: Revision
Submitted By:
Office of Child Support Services
Administration for Children and Families
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Circumstances Making the Collection of Information Necessary
The State and Local Child Access and Visitation (AV) Survey (Survey) is used by the federal Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) as the primary means for adhering to the statutory (Sec. 469B. [42 U.S.C. 669b] and regulatory (45 CFR Part 303) requirements for recipients of “Grants to States for Access and Visitation” to report program data to OCSS on an annual basis. The survey captures all required data points as specified in federal statute and regulation.
The current expiration date of OMB approval for this survey is June 30, 2024. We are requesting an extension with no changes to the approved Survey (Attachment A) and associated Instruction Manual (Attachment B). This will allow grant recipients to continue collecting required program data and meet required Fiscal Year reporting deadlines.
Purpose and Use of the Information Collection
OCSS reviews and analyzes the Survey data submitted by states each year and, after a review and revision of numbers (if errors are found), compiles the information into an annual AV grant program update report. This report includes information on the AV grant program, a national trend analysis, and state-specific data including local provider locations and contacts. The Survey is an invaluable management tool for OCSS in identifying low-performing states and, as a result, providing them with needed technical assistance. The Survey also assists in knowledge sharing between states and informs the public of how program funds are utilized. The use of this survey does not require the use of statistical methods.
Use of Improved Information Technology and Burden Reduction
The Survey is accessed and submitted via the web-based AV portal on the Federal Parent Locator Service (FPLS). The State Details pages consist of open text fields and multiple-choice options for grant recipients to provide information on the use of their funds. These pages automatically pre-populate the most recent submitted content; meaning text submitted in the previous year will pre-populate on the State Details pages the following year, leading to a burden reduction for many states that submit the same program information every year. States that wish to make changes can easily do so by editing pre-populated language or selecting “Clear” at the bottom of the page. The text boxes have a 4000-character limit with a minimum of one character, further reducing the burden on grant recipients.
The State Spreadsheet has been developed in Microsoft Excel and is accessible via the AV portal. States are expected to download the Spreadsheet and upload it to the AV portal where automatic data checks are run to ensure the form has no reporting discrepancies. If discrepancies are found, an email notification is sent to the state informing them of what errors were found. These checks reduce burden on grant recipients by allowing them to address errors quickly.
Efforts to Identify Duplication and Use of Similar Information
The Survey is the only source available to or used by OCSS for obtaining the statutorily required data for the AV grant program.
Impact on Small Businesses or Other Small Entities
Not applicable.
Consequences of Collecting the Information Less Frequently
OCSS is required to collect the data annually to fulfill and adhere to the statutory and regulatory mandates governing the AV grant program. It is also important that the data be collected annually so that OCSS can monitor the grant properly and provide quality technical assistance to states.
Special Circumstances Relating to the Guidelines of 5 CFR 1320.5
Not applicable.
Comments in Response to the Federal Register Notice and Efforts to Consult Outside the Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR Part 1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 1995), ACF published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the agency’s intention to request an OMB review of this information collection activity. This notice was published on January 8, 2024, Volume 89, Number 5, page 927, and provided a sixty-day period for public comment. During the notice and comment period, one comment was received. The comment did not provide any suggestions for changes to the instrument or related burden.
Explanation of Any Payment or Gift to Respondents
Not applicable.
Assurance of Confidentiality Provided to Respondents
Not applicable.
Justification for Sensitive Questions
Not applicable.
Estimates of Annualized Burden Hours and Costs
Information Collection Title |
Total Number of Respondents |
Annual Number of Responses Per Respondent |
Average Burden Hours Per Response |
Annual Burden Hours |
Average Hourly Wage |
Total Annual Cost |
Online Portal Survey by States and Jurisdictions |
53 |
1 |
16 |
848 |
$40.00 |
$33,920 |
Survey of local service grant recipients |
264 |
1 |
16 |
4,224 |
$40.00 |
$168,960 |
Estimated Total Annual Burden: |
5,072 |
Estimated Total Annual Cost: |
$202,880 |
|||
Respondents include state child access and visitation programs and state or local service providers. We estimate 53 states and jurisdictions will complete the survey annually compiled from reports submitted by approximately 264 local contractors and subgrantees. This estimate is based on previous year grant reporting. Based on experience to date, we estimate the survey to take about 16 hours per response and it is completed annually.
The cost to respondents was calculated using the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) job code for Social and Human Services Assistants [21-1093] and wage data from May 2022, which is $20.00 per hour. To account for fringe benefits and overhead the rate was multiplied by two which is $40.00.
https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_stru.htm
Estimates of Other Total Annual Cost Burden to Respondents and Record Keepers
There are no additional costs to respondents or record keepers.
Annualized Cost to the Federal Government
The review, analysis, and compilation of Survey data will be conducted by one OCSS staff member at 15 percent time x annual salary ($100,000) = $15,000. The maintenance and oversight of the AV portal is currently contracted out at an estimated cost of $50,000 per year. The total estimated annual cost to the federal government is $65,000.
Explanation for Program Changes or Adjustments
There are no changes proposed to this information collection. We have updated burden estimates to reflect the current number of states, jurisdictions, and grant recipients we estimate will complete this effort
Plans for Tabulation and Publication and Project Time Schedule
OCSS reviews and analyzes the Survey data submitted by states each year and, after a reconciliation of numbers (if errors are found), compiles the information into an annual AV grant program update report. This report is typically published each year and/or posted on OCSS’s website and sent to state child support agencies. The report also includes information on the AV grant program, a national trend analysis, and state-specific data.
Reason(s) Display of OMB Expiration Date is Inappropriate
Not applicable.
Exceptions to Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions
Not applicable.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Jones, Molly (ACF) |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2024-09-04 |