[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 1 (Thursday, January 2, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 92-94]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-31359]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request--Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)
AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA)
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.
L. 104-13) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations in 5
CFR part 1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 1995), this notice announces
FNS's intention to request OMB approval for a new information
collection in support of a study of Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)
State agencies, sponsoring organizations, site directors, parents or
caregivers of children who participated in the program, and parents or
caregivers of children who were eligible for the program but did not
participate.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by March 4, 2014 to be
assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES: Written comments are invited on (a) whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of
the functions of the agency, including whether the information will
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of
the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the
validity of the methodology and the assumptions used; (c) ways to
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of
information on those who are to respond, including the use of
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technology.
Comments may be sent to Chanchalat Chanhatasilpa, Office of Policy
Support, Special Nutrition Research and Analysis Division, Food and
Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center
Drive, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also be faxed to the
attention of Mr. Chanhatasilpa at 703-305-2576; or via email to:
[email protected]. Comments will also be accepted
through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to http://www.regulations.gov, and follow the online instructions for submitting
comments electronically.
All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of
public record.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information
should be directed to: Chanchalat Chanhatasilpa, Office of Policy
Support, Special Nutrition Research and Analysis Division, Food and
Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center
Drive, Alexandria, VA 22302; telephone 703-305-2115; fax 703-305-2576.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Application for Food and Nutrition
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Service (FNS) collection of information for The Summer Food Service
Program (SFSP) Implementation Study.
OMB Number: Not yet assigned.
Expiration Date: N/A.
Type of Request: Approval for new data collection from SFSP State
agencies, sponsoring organizations, site directors, parents or
caregivers of children who participated in the program, and parents or
caregivers of children who were eligible for the program but did not
participate.
Abstract: School-age children are more susceptible to food
insecurity during the summer when they do not have access to meals
provided at school. The SFSP was designed to ensure that children who
benefit from the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School
Breakfast Program (SBP) do not experience a nutrition gap during the
summer. Despite ongoing efforts to increase participation, the SFSP
only reaches a small fraction of all eligible children, and there is a
large gap in participation levels between the NSLP and the SFSP.
Therefore, the USDA needs to obtain detailed information on SFSP
operation and administration at the State, sponsor, and site levels, as
well as characteristics of providers, participants, and non-
participants, in order to identify the factors that contribute to
program participation by sponsors, sites, and children. The study will
also allow the USDA to determine future changes in SFSP policy that
improve program participation and operations. Since the last national
study of the program, conducted in 2003, there have been significant
policy changes that could impact program operation and participation.
Furthermore, limited administrative data are collected at the national
level on the SFSP's operations at the State agency, sponsor, and site
levels.
Affected Public:
To evaluate how SFSP program operations and other factors
contribute to participation at the State, sponsor, and site levels, as
well as to study characteristics of providers, participants, and
eligible non-participants, a variety of information must be obtained.
Data for this study will be collected from four types of participants:
1. State agencies from all 54 States and territories, including
Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The data
collection will involve a self-administered web survey and telephone
follow-up of non-respondents with State administrators of the agencies
that operate the SFSP (in some States, with the FNS regional office
staff who administer the program). In addition, State agencies will be
asked to provide administrative data on their sponsors, and those
sponsors will provide information on their sites.
2. Program staff from a nationally representative sample of 350
current SFSP sponsors, such as School Food Authorities (SFA),
government agencies, residential camps, or other nonprofit
organizations. The data collection will involve a self-administered web
survey with telephone follow-up of non-respondents. In addition,
sponsors will be asked to provide administrative data on their sites.
3. Site directors from a nationally representative sample of 380
sites. The data collection will involve a self-administered web survey
with telephone follow-up of non-respondents. In addition, up to six
sites will be asked to provide contact information for their
participants and eligible non-participants.
4. A convenience sample of 25 parents or caregivers of SFSP
participating children and 25 eligible non-participating children. The
data collection will involve interviews over the telephone.
The data will be collected on a one-time basis in 2015, beginning
with collecting States' administrative records from 2/1/15 through 6/1/
15. The data collection with States, sponsors, sites, participants, and
nonparticipants will be conducted from 5/1/15 through 11/12/15.
Estimate of Burden:
Respondent burden will be minimized by using the web survey that
streamlines the data collection process. Burden will also be minimized
by relying on administrative records for variables that are
consistently available across States, sponsors, and sites. In addition,
States and sponsors will be encouraged to provide lists or other
administrative records in whatever form is most convenient to them.
To obtain administrative records, the estimated burden will be:
State Administrators: 5 hours to compile the lists of
sponsors and sites
Sponsors: 2 hours to compile the lists of sites
Two schools or SFA sites: 2 hours to compile the lists of
participants and eligible non-participants (participating in school
lunch or breakfast programs).
To complete the surveys and interviews, the estimated burden will
be:
State Administrators: 1.5 hours to complete the survey.
Sponsor Staff: 1.5 hours to complete the survey.
Site Directors: 1 hour to complete the survey.
Parents/Caregivers of Participants: 45 minutes to complete
the telephone interview.
Parents/Caregivers of Eligible Non-Participants: 30
minutes to complete the telephone interview.
Exhibit 1 provides estimates of the data collection burden.
Exhibit 1--Estimated Burden Hours
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Estimated Estimated avg.
Number of number of Estimated number of Estimated
Type of respondent respondents responses per total annual hours per total hours
respondent responses response
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State Administrators............ 54 1 54 6.5 351
Sponsor Staff................... 350 1 350 3.5 1,225
Site Directors.................. 380 1 380 1.01 384
Parents/Caregivers of 25 1 25 0.75 18.75
Participants...................
Parents/Caregivers of Eligible 25 1 25 0.5 12.5
Non-Participants...............
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Total Burden................ 834 .............. 834 .............. 1,991.25
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[[Page 94]]
Dated: December 24, 2013.
Yvette S. Jackson,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-31359 Filed 12-31-13; 8:45 am]
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