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SUBJECT CATEGORY: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

DOCUMENT SUMMARY:

Title: Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM) Demonstration and Evaluation Project: 12month Followup and Implementation Research Data Collection.

OMB No.: New Collection.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is conducting a demonstration and evaluation called the Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM) project. SHM is a test of marriage education demonstration programs in eight separate locations that will aim to enroll up to 1,000 couples per location, up to 500 couples participating in SHM programs and 500 control group couples.

SHM is designed to inform program operators and policymakers of the most effective ways to help lowincome married couples strengthen and maintain healthy marriages. In particular, the project will measure the effectiveness of marriage education programs by randomly assigning eligible volunteer couples to SHM program groups and control groups.

This data collection request includes three components. First, a survey will be administered to couples 12 months after they are enrolled in the program. The survey is designed to assess the effects of the SHM program on marital status and stability, quality of relationship with spouse, marital expectations and ideals, marital satisfaction, participation in services, parenting outcomes, child outcomes, parental wellbeing, employment, income, material hardship, and social support characteristics of study participants assigned to both the program and control groups. Second, survey data will be complemented by videotaped observations of couple, coparenting, and parentchild interactions with a subset of intact and separated couples at the 12month followup. Third, qualitative data will be collected through a process and implementation study in each of the eight SHM demonstration programs across the country.

These data will complement the information gathered by the SHM baseline data collection (OMB Control No. 09700299). The information collected at the 12month followup will allow the research team to examine the effects of SHM services on outcomes of interest and to identify mechanisms that might account for these effects. The process and implementation research will consist of a qualitative component that will help ACF to better understand the results from the impact analysis as well as how to replicate programs that prove to be successful.

Respondents: Lowincome married couples with children. Annual Burden Estimates Number of Average burden Estimated Instrument Annual number responses per hours per annual burden of respondents respondent response hours 12month survey................................ 10,240 1 0.83 8,499.2 12month observational study (intact couples).. 3,200 1 0.68 2,176 12month observational study (separated 160 1 0.17 27.2 couples)......................................
12month observational study (children of 1,600 1 0.33 528 intact couples)...............................
12month observational study (children of 160 1 0.17 27.2 separated couples)............................
The process and implementation field research 504 1 1 504 guide.........................................

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 11,761.6.

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, Fax: 2023956974, Attn: Desk Officer for the Administration for Children and Families.

Dated: November 29, 2007.
Brendan C. Kelly,
OPRE Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 075978 Filed 12707; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 418401M

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

DOCUMENT BODY 2:

Title: Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM) Demonstration and Evaluation Project: 12month Followup and Implementation Research Data Collection.

OMB No.: New Collection.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is conducting a demonstration and evaluation called the Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM) project. SHM is a test of marriage education demonstration programs in eight separate locations that will aim to enroll up to 1,000 couples per location, up to 500 couples participating in SHM programs and 500 control group couples.

SHM is designed to inform program operators and policymakers of the most effective ways to help lowincome married couples strengthen and maintain healthy marriages. In particular, the project will measure the effectiveness of marriage education programs by randomly assigning eligible volunteer couples to SHM program groups and control groups.

This data collection request includes three components. First, a survey will be administered to couples 12 months after they are enrolled in the program. The survey is designed to assess the effects of the SHM program on marital status and stability, quality of relationship with spouse, marital expectations and ideals, marital satisfaction, participation in services, parenting outcomes, child outcomes, parental wellbeing, employment, income, material hardship, and social support characteristics of study participants assigned to both the program and control groups. Second, survey data will be complemented by videotaped observations of couple, coparenting, and parentchild interactions with a subset of intact and separated couples at the 12month followup. Third, qualitative data will be collected through a process and implementation study in each of the eight SHM demonstration programs across the country.

These data will complement the information gathered by the SHM baseline data collection (OMB Control No. 09700299). The information collected at the 12month followup will allow the research team to examine the effects of SHM services on outcomes of interest and to identify mechanisms that might account for these effects. The process and implementation research will consist of a qualitative component that will help ACF to better understand the results from the impact analysis as well as how to replicate programs that prove to be successful.

Respondents: Lowincome married couples with children. Annual Burden Estimates Number of Average burden Estimated Instrument Annual number responses per hours per annual burden of respondents respondent response hours 12month survey................................ 10,240 1 0.83 8,499.2 12month observational study (intact couples).. 3,200 1 0.68 2,176 12month observational study (separated 160 1 0.17 27.2 couples)......................................
12month observational study (children of 1,600 1 0.33 528 intact couples)...............................
12month observational study (children of 160 1 0.17 27.2 separated couples)............................
The process and implementation field research 504 1 1 504 guide.........................................

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 11,761.6.

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, Fax: 2023956974, Attn: Desk Officer for the Administration for Children and Families.

Dated: November 29, 2007.
Brendan C. Kelly,
OPRE Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 075978 Filed 12707; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 418401M