Proposed Information Collection Activity; National and State Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSSCAW): Site Recruitment and Baseline Data Collection

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Administration for Children and Families [Office of Management and Budget #: 0970-0202] Proposed Information Collection Activity; National and State Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSSCAW): Site Recruitment and Baseline Data Collection AGENCY: Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services. ACTION: Request for public comments. SUMMARY: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Department of Health and Human Services, intends to collect data on a new cohort of children and families for the National and State Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSSCAW). Previous data collections have been approved by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under OMB #: 0970-0202. This request is for data collection with a new cohort. DATES: Comments due August 24, 2026. ADDRESSES: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ACF is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the information collection described above. You can obtain copies of the proposed collection of information and submit comments by emailing infocollection@acf.hhs.gov. Identify all requests by the title of the information collection. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Description: NSSCAW will provide state and national estimates on the well-being, experiences, and service needs and receipt of children and families involved with the child welfare system. Data are collected to provide states with information to support decision-making about practice and policy improvements intended to strengthen child and family well-being, prevent the need for foster care, and promote the recruitment and retention of safe and stable foster homes. NSSCAW instruments will collect firsthand information about child and family health and well-being, as well as family needs and contextual factors. Instruments will also collect information about the safety and stability of the child's home environment, including information about the motivators and challenges of foster and kin caregivers. This information request seeks approval to: (1) recruit a purposively selected set of states and randomly selected set of county child welfare agencies within those states for participation in NSSCAW; (2) sample child cases from participating states and child welfare agencies; and (3) conduct interviews with sampled children and their caregivers, including foster and kin caregivers. Deidentified data will be archived for research use. Respondents: Child welfare agency data systems staff will submit monthly sample files. Caregivers of children ages 0 to 17 and children ages 6 to 17 will complete an in-person or online survey. Caregivers will complete a telephone verification interview. Caregivers and young adults ages 18 and older will complete a panel maintenance contact card. Annual Burden Estimates: This request is for three years of approval to allow sufficient time for baseline data collection efforts. As such, the burden has been annualized over three years.   Instrument Total number of respondents Total number of responses per respondent Average burden hours per response Total burden hours Annual burden hours Specifications for Monthly Sample File Submissions 100 15 1.0 1,500 500 Caregiver Baseline Survey 6,273 1 1.0 6,273 2,091 Child Baseline Survey 4,160 1 0.75 3,120 1,040 Telephone Verification Interview 627 1 0.13 82 27 Panel Maintenance Contact Card 900 1 0.05 45 15 Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 3,673 Comments: 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. Authority: 42 U.S.C. 628b; Continuing Appropriations Act of 2025. Mary C. Jones, ACF Certifying Officer. [FR Doc. 2026-12809 Filed 6-24-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4184-01-P