Head Start Program Information Report
OMB Information Collection Request
0970 - 0427
Supporting Statement Part A - Justification
July 2025
Type of Request: Reinstatement with No Changes
Submitted By:
Office of Head Start
Administration for Children and Families
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Circumstances Making the Collection of Information Necessary
Section 650 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9846) requires that the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) prepare and submit a report to the Congress at least once during every 2-year period.
Section 641A of the Head Start Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 9836A) requires that the Office of Head Start (OHS) collect enrollment information from grant recipients on a monthly basis to determine whether grant recipients maintain their funded enrollment.
Section 644 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9839) requires each Head Start agency to make available to the public a report published at least once in each fiscal year.
OHS is requesting an extension, without changes, of the Head Start Program Information Report information collection. The following instruments are included in this information collection: (1) the Program Information Report Form (PIR), (2) monthly enrollment, and (3) center locations and contacts.
Purpose and Use of the Information Collection
The PIR data is used for the following principal purposes:
The information is used for program management at the local, Regional and National levels to analyze trends in the program, including program enrollment, program design, staffing patterns, staff credentials, family demographics and service needs, and access to health and social services and services for children with disabilities.
The PIR data is used at the national and Regional levels to inform policy, program development, and planning. As one component of an ongoing monitoring system, the PIR is also used to track implementation of requirements and to promote compliance with applicable laws and regulations governing the Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
The PIR is a major source of information used to respond to Congressional and public inquiries about Head Start. It is a primary source of information used to compile the Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of Children in Head Start Programs mandated by Section 650 of the Head Start Act.
The PIR data is used often by Head Start research efforts managed through the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, to define Head Start populations and to provide baseline information for planning and design.
Monthly enrollment is primarily used to determine whether grant recipients maintain their funded enrollment (which could initiate an underenrollment process) and to measure the efficiency of Head Start which is included in the Annual ACF Budget Request and is a part of the HHS strategic plan.
Pertinent location information is provided to the public primarily through Google maps at https://headstart.gov/. This data is also used to plan Head Start monitoring reviews. In addition, OHS is requiring that it be informed when certain adverse conditions are present, such as when grant recipients incur a suspension of service due to a child care licensing violation, when they are added to the CACFP National Disqualified List, etc., in order to provide effective oversight and minimize community service disruptions.
Contact information is collected from key personnel to send correspondence, electronic signatures, and general grant administrative purposes.
This information collection is also used for planning and scheduling of onsite monitoring reviews.
Use of Improved Information Technology and Burden Reduction
Information is submitted through the Head Start Enterprise System (HSES). There are no paper transactions. The automated filing provides accurate, edited data. The data on locations, contacts, and program types are prepopulated when possible.
Efforts to Identify Duplication and Use of Similar Information
No similar information is available. All three instruments capture data that is only made available through those reports.
Impact on Small Businesses or Other Small Entities
Not applicable.
Consequences of Collecting the Information Less Frequently
Figures on actual program services would not be available on an annual basis without this information collection. For example, the PIR collects information like the percent of children that received their necessary immunizations and the percent of classroom teachers with an associates or higher degree in Early Childhood Education or related field.
Interest in early childhood programs including enrollment and the status of children and families served is ongoing; there is a need for current program information. In addition, the PIR is essential for reporting on performance measures and the implementation of Congressional mandates.
OHS has considered collecting information less frequently than an annual basis, but programs and system developers have indicated it may increase the burden of the collection since having a steady annual collection supports reliable reporting and record-keeping. Additionally, it was indicated that programs need to collect it on an annual basis for their own purposes and having access to data reported by other programs is helpful.
Without PIR data, research studies would have to develop additional information collections to compensate for the missing data. Also, monitoring would need to develop a new method and propose a new data collection for planning and scheduling on-site reviews.
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 (PRA) 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 May 6, 2025 (90 FR 19206) and provided a sixty-day period for public comment. During the notice and comment period, two comments (one substantive and one nonsubstantive) were received.
At this time, OHS is requesting an extension with no changes, but as OHS considers potential changes and related implications, revisions or nonsubstantive change requests will be submitted in the future, as applicable under the PRA. OHS will consider ways that the burden of the PIR can be reduced, including improvements that could be made to the reporting process, and OHS will consider reporting mechanisms that provide insights from PIR data.
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
Estimated Burden Hours
The respondents for this information collection are grant recipients. The number of responses is based on the number of responses provided by each grant recipient for each information collection instrument, while also taking into account that some grant recipients hold multiple grants.
Estimated Cost to Respondents
The cost to respondents was calculated using the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) job code for Education and Childcare Administrators in Preschool [11-9031] and wage data from May 2024, which is $30.12 per hour. To account for fringe benefits and overhead the rate was multiplied by two which is $60.24. The estimate of annualized cost to respondents for hour burden is $60.24 times 11,760 hours or $708,422.40.
https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_stru.htm
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 |
Head Start PIR |
1,600 |
2.25 |
1 |
3,600 |
$60.24 |
$216,864.00 |
Monthly Enrollment |
1,600 |
27 |
0.05 |
2,160 |
$60.24 |
$130,118.40 |
Center Locations and Contacts |
1,600 |
15 |
0.25 |
6,000 |
$60.24 |
$361,440.00 |
Estimated Annual Burden Total: |
11,760 |
Estimated Annual Cost Total: |
$708,422.40 |
|||
Estimates of Other Total Annual Cost Burden to Respondents and Record Keepers
There is no other cost burden on respondents. Respondents are not required to establish any special or new recording keeping systems. Data for the PIR is drawn from established records which would otherwise be compiled in conforming to the requirements of the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS) such as enrollment and family records, staffing and employee turnover, and program characteristics. Response does not require the use of outside resources. The record-keeping burden associated with the HSPPS are already covered under OMB # 0970-0148.
Annualized Cost to the Federal Government
The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is $1,771,131. Federal staff costs are estimated to be 30% of the time of a Program Specialist (GS-14) to oversee the activities of the data contract and to be the lead for reports and responding to inquiries. Additionally, contract costs for maintaining and updating the PIR data and reporting system are included.
Explanation for Program Changes or Adjustments
The burden table has been updated to reflect BLS wage data from May 2024. No other burden adjustments were made.
Plans for Tabulation and Publication and Project Time Schedule
Annual National and Regional Fact Sheets on Head Start and Early Head Start are produced and published online. A biennial report to Congress and various Regional, State, and site level pre-programmed reports draw information from the PIR data. State and site level reports are important for program monitoring and measuring performance. PIR data reports and extracts are available to all Head Start programs and to the public. Reports using PIR data and how to access PIR data located on HSES is available on the OHS website for the public at https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/data-ongoing-monitoring/article/program-information-report-pir. PIR data in HSES are made available soon after the reporting deadlines and are automatically updated as PIR corrections are submitted. No complex analytical techniques are contemplated.
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 | 2025-07-15 |