[Federal Register: January 8, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 5)]
[Notices]               
[Page 814]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08ja09-34]                         

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

 
Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Proposed Projects

    Title: Mentoring Children of Prisoners Relationship Quality Survey.
    OMB No.: 0970-0308.
    Description: The Promoting Safe and Stable Families Amendments of 
2001 (Pub. L. 107-133) amended Title IV-B of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 629-629e) to provide funding for nonprofit agencies that 
recruit, screen, train, and support mentors for children with an 
incarcerated parent or parents. The Family and Youth Services Bureau 
(FYSB) of the Administration for Children and Families, United States 
Department of Health and Human Services, administers the Mentoring 
Children of Prisoners (MCP) program. The MCP program creates lasting, 
high-quality one-to-one mentoring relationships that provide young 
people with caring adult role models. The quality of these 
relationships is an important indicator of success in mentoring 
programs. Previous research has shown an association between high-
quality mentoring relationships and positive changes in youth behavior 
associated with positive youth benefits, such as improved school 
attendance, reductions in risk behavior, and other benefits.
    The Relationship Quality Instrument consists of 15 rigorously 
field-tested questions about the relationship, plus several questions 
that establish context (age, gender, duration of relationship and 
frequency of contacts, etc.). The answers to the questions help assess 
how satisfied the youth (mentee) is with the relationship; whether the 
mentee is happy in the relationship; whether the mentee trusts the 
mentor; and whether the mentor has helped the mentee to cope with 
problems. Researchers in the field of mentoring have tested and 
validated the questions.
    FYSB requires grantees receiving funding to provide information 
that can be used to evaluate outcomes for participating children. FYSB 
will use the information provided by the instrument to assure effective 
service delivery and program management and to guide the development of 
national monitoring and technical assistance systems. Finally, FYSB 
will use data from this collection for reporting program outcomes to 
Congress in the FY 2006 Performance Report during the budget process 
and as the basis for outcome evaluation of the program over the long 
term.
    Rhodes J., Reddy R., Roffman J., and Grossman J.B. (March 2005). 
Promoting Successful Youth Mentoring Relationships: A Preliminary 
Screening Questionnaire. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 26:2, 147-
167.
    Respondents: Public, community- and faith-based organizations 
receiving funding to implement the MCP program.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  Number of      Average burden
                 Instrument                      Number of      responses per      hours per       Total burden
                                                respondents       respondent        response          hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Relationship Quality Instrument for                      215                1              116           24,940
 Mentoring Children of Prisoners Program....
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 24,940.
    In compliance with the requirements of Section 506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Administration for Children and 
Families is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the 
information collection described above. Copies of the proposed 
collection of information can be obtained and comments may be forwarded 
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. E-mail 
address: infocollection@acf.hhs.gov. All requests should be identified 
by the title of the information collection.
    The Department specifically requests comments on: (a) Whether the 
proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper 
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the 
information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information; (c) the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection 
of information on respondents, including through the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology. 
Consideration will be given to comments and suggestions submitted 
within 60 days of this publication.

    Dated: January 5, 2009.
Janean Chambers,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-96 Filed 1-7-09; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4184-01-P