Monitoring GenIC Submission Form - Office of Head Start Survey on COVID-19 Mitigation Plan

Request for Approval under the clearance of the “Generic for ACF Program Office Monitoring Activities” Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control Number: 0970-0558

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Office of Head Start Survey on COVID-19 Mitigation Plan

PURPOSE: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published a final rule in January 2023 that removed the requirement for universal masking for all individuals ages 2 and older. The Final Rule instead requires that Head Start programs have an evidence-based COVID-19 mitigation policy, developed in consultation with their Health Services Advisory Committee (HSAC) that can be scaled up or down based on the impacts or risks of COVID-19 in the community. This new standard (§ 1302.47 (b)(9)) aims to ensure programs establish a policy that prioritizes the health and safety of children served by the federal Head Start program, their families, and the program’s staff while also adapting to the realities of evolving COVID-19 conditions. To reduce the burden placed on grant recipients, OHS committed to not formally monitor this requirement until Project Year 23-24. Without the availability of the full monitoring process to assess the implementation of the new requirement, OHS seeks to issue a survey to learn more about the extent to which policies are being put into place as well as identify any remaining areas of confusion or concern for grant recipients.

This information collection aligns with the overarching generic for monitoring activities, which specifically states that ACF will collect the information for:

• quick understanding of and remediation to national, regional, and/or site-specific issues,

• provision of support as needed.

The proposed uses of the data also align with the overarching generic, which specifies that program offices will use information collected under this generic clearance to monitor the efficiency and efficacy of funding recipient activities and to provide support or take appropriate action, as needed. Specifically, data will be used to inform decisions about additional actions/support (e.g., T/TA and monitoring efforts) that may be needed to understand funding recipient activities and to increase the potential for success of all grant recipients.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS: (e.g., states, grantees, or type of non-profit)

The survey will be distributed to a random sample of 140 Head Start grant recipients. We anticipate about 100 respondents based on prior response rates to surveys delivered through similar means.

CERTIFICATION:

I certify the following to be true:

1. The collection is in compliance with U.S. Health and Human Services regulations.

2. The collection is low-burden for respondents and low-cost for the Federal Government.

3. The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to other federal agencies.

4. Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of substantially informing influential policy decisions.

Name:________Jesse Escobar, Data and Policy Analyst, Office of Head Start____________

To assist OMB review of your request, please provide answers to the following question:

PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION:

1. Is personally identifiable information (PII) collected? [ ] Yes [ X] No

2. If Yes, will any information that is collected be included in records that are subject to the Privacy Act of 1974? [ ] Yes [ ] No

3. If Yes, has an up-to-date System of Records Notice been published? [ ] Yes [ ] No

BURDEN HOURS

Category of Respondent	No. of Respondents	No. of Responses per Respondent per year	Burden per Response	Annual Burden
Head Start Grant Recipient	100	1	5 min	8 hours and 20 mins

The cost per respondent is expected to be consistent across respondents. Our estimate is based on Labor Statistics data from 2022 for Education and Childcare Administrators

(job code 11-9031; https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes119031.htm). The mean national hourly wage for this occupation is $27.70. To account for benefits and overhead the rate is multiplied by two which is $55.40.  The estimate of burden cost to respondents is $55.40 multiplied by 8.3333 hours, which is $461.67.

FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal Government is __$1,000_____.

TYPE OF COLLECTION:

How will you collect the information? (Check all that apply)

[ X ] Web-based

[ ] E-mail

[ ] Paper mail

[ ] Other, Explain

Please make sure to submit all instruments, instructions, and scripts with the request.

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