NonSub Change - Contact After Adoption or Guardianship - Update to Timing

To: Jordan Cohen

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

From: Alysia Blandon

Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE)

Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

Date: May 10, 2021

Subject: NonSubstantive Change Request – Contact After Adoption or Guardianship: Child Welfare Agency and Family Interactions (OMB #0970-0567)

This memo requests approval of nonsubstantive changes to the approved information collection, Contact After Adoption or Guardianship: Child Welfare Agency and Family Interactions (OMB #0970-0567).

Background

In April 2021, OMB approved the new information collection request for the Contact After Adoption or Guardianship: Child Welfare Agency and Family Interactions (OMB #0970-0567). This is a descriptive study designed to help OPRE and the Children’s Bureau understand more about the intentional and unintentional ways public child welfare agencies are in contact with or receive information about the well-being of children and youth who have exited the foster care system through adoption or guardianship - in particular, information about the experiences of these children and youth with instability in those placements. A secondary goal is to investigate how and what information a child welfare agency tracks about children and youth who have exited the foster care system to adoption or guardianship. This study will use a multimode approach that includes up to two web surveys of state program managers and video-conference interviews with stakeholders from select child welfare agency locations.

Since data collection began, 25 adoption state program managers have completed the Agency Web Survey on Adoption (Instrument 1a) and 17 have completed the Agency Web Survey on Guardianship (Instrument 1b). During data collection we have learned that almost a quarter of state adoption program managers on the list provided by the Children’s Bureau are no longer in their positions. We have identified new state respondents to replace those who are no longer in the adoption program manager position; but, these newly identified respondents will need more time to complete the Agency web surveys.

Overview of Requested Changes

As a result of high turnover in state adoption manager positions, we request:

• Extending the agency web survey data collection period from 4 weeks (originally proposed) to 8 weeks. This will allow more time for the newly identified respondents to complete the web surveys.

• Initiating the stakeholder videoconference interviews prior to the end of the web survey data collection period. This will allow the study team to maintain our originally proposed timeline.

Revisions do not change the original estimated burden. Revised versions of Supporting Statements A and B are included with this change request.

Time Sensitivities

To ensure all data collection is completed prior to the current expiration date, we request a response as soon as possible.