3. Conducting indepth studies of reform models: Indepth evaluation of select models of reform will be undertaken within three, diverse sites across the country. The study designs vary among sites, and include quasiexperimental and descriptive outcome methodologies. Reflecting the Adoption and Safe Families Act, the primary outcome areas of interest will be child safety, the timely achievement of permanency, and child wellbeing. Within each site, outcome evaluation will be complemented by a qualitative study of the many factors that impacted reform including other related reform efforts, the evolution of the target reform over time, barriers encountered, and methods by which these barriers were overcome.

The outcome evaluation will utilize information from existing court and child welfare agency management information systems. Within select sites, information from these sources will be supplemented with information abstracted from existing court and/or child welfare agency case records. The process evaluation will help inform outcome findings within the study sites as well as provide important insights for the replication of the model within other sites. It will involve the collection of new information through structured focus groups and interviews with key individuals, as well as court observations of child dependency hearings. This descriptive information will be collected twice during the study.

The three sites selected for indepth analysis are the following:

Collectively, findings from the three study components will capture the ongoing nationwide process of court reform supported by the Court Improvement Program. A technical work group comprised of leading researchers, judicial and child welfare agency officials and representatives of public interest groups has been assembled to provide input at key points during the study.

Respondents: Study respondents include individuals in the following categories among the three study sites noted above:

Total....................................... .............. .............. .............. 656

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 656.

Additional Information

Copies of the proposed collection may be obtained by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Administration, Office of Information Services, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer. All requests should be identified by the title of the information collection. email address: infocollection@acf.hhs.gov. OMB Comment

OMB is required to make a decision concerning the collection of information between 30 and 60 days after publication of this document in the Federal Register. Therefore, a comment is best assured of having its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent directly to the following: Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project, Attn: Desk Officer for ACF, Email address: Katherine_T._Astrich@omb.eop.gov.

Dated: October 28, 2005.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 0521674 Filed 103105; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 418401M

SUMMARY:

Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals,

DOCUMENT BODY 2:

Title: The National Evaluation of the Court Improvement Program.

OMB No.: New Collection.

Description: The National Evaluation of the Court Improvement Program will describe the many paths followed by state courts to improve their oversight of child welfare cases, and will provide the field with information on effective models for juvenile and family court reform. Funded by the Children's Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in 2004, the fiveyear study is being carried out by a partnership of three organizations consisting of Planning and Learning Technologies (PalTech, Inc.), the Urban Institute and the Center for Policy Research.

[[Page 65903]]

The Federal Court Improvement Program (CIP) was established in 1994 as a source of funding for state courts to assess and improve their handling of foster care and adoption proceedings. The funding is codified in title IVB, subpart 2 of the Social Security Act, Section 438, as part of the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program. Although anecdotal information documents the program's success, this is the first national evaluation of CIP. This study builds on the recommendations of a Children's Bureau funded evaluability assessment (EA) of the program completed in 2003 by James Bell Associates, Inc.

The National Evaluation of the Court Improvement Program involves three interrelated components:

1. Reviewing and synthesizing state and local court reform activities: This component will describe the full range of CIPfunded court reforms undertaken by states at the beginning and ending of the study's data collection period. Additionally, it will provide insights into states' reform priorities and how these shift over time. Especially promising models of reform will be highlighted. Finally, this component will provide important contextual information for the study's indepth evaluation component of select models of reform. Information for this activity will be synthesized from existing reports submitted by states to the Children's Bureau.

2. Reviewing and synthesizing existing court reform evaluations: This component will identify and synthesize findings from research and evaluation conducted on family and juvenile court reforms. It will provide important context for the study's indepth evaluation component in two ways. Findings on reform activities beyond those captured within the study sites will be provided. It will also help inform evaluation within the study sites by providing information on previously conducted evaluation of similar reform models. Information for this activity will be synthesized from existing evaluations and studies of court reform. Evaluations will be prioritized for synthesis based on their methodological rigor and findings reported in the substantive areas defined by the EA. These are:

3. Conducting indepth studies of reform models: Indepth evaluation of select models of reform will be undertaken within three, diverse sites across the country. The study designs vary among sites, and include quasiexperimental and descriptive outcome methodologies. Reflecting the Adoption and Safe Families Act, the primary outcome areas of interest will be child safety, the timely achievement of permanency, and child wellbeing. Within each site, outcome evaluation will be complemented by a qualitative study of the many factors that impacted reform including other related reform efforts, the evolution of the target reform over time, barriers encountered, and methods by which these barriers were overcome.

The outcome evaluation will utilize information from existing court and child welfare agency management information systems. Within select sites, information from these sources will be supplemented with information abstracted from existing court and/or child welfare agency case records. The process evaluation will help inform outcome findings within the study sites as well as provide important insights for the replication of the model within other sites. It will involve the collection of new information through structured focus groups and interviews with key individuals, as well as court observations of child dependency hearings. This descriptive information will be collected twice during the study.

The three sites selected for indepth analysis are the following:

Collectively, findings from the three study components will capture the ongoing nationwide process of court reform supported by the Court Improvement Program. A technical work group comprised of leading researchers, judicial and child welfare agency officials and representatives of public interest groups has been assembled to provide input at key points during the study.

Respondents: Study respondents include individuals in the following categories among the three study sites noted above:

Total....................................... .............. .............. .............. 656

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 656.

Additional Information

Copies of the proposed collection may be obtained by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Administration, Office of Information Services, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer. All requests should be identified by the title of the information collection. email address: infocollection@acf.hhs.gov. OMB Comment

OMB is required to make a decision concerning the collection of information between 30 and 60 days after publication of this document in the Federal Register. Therefore, a comment is best assured of having its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent directly to the following: Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project, Attn: Desk Officer for ACF, Email address: Katherine_T._Astrich@omb.eop.gov.

Dated: October 28, 2005.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 0521674 Filed 103105; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 418401M