The Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Secretary is requesting public comments regarding “A Strategic Plan for Federal Youth Policy.”  An interagency working group of 12 federal agencies that provide programs and services to youth on some level  has focused on three overarching outcomes for youth:  1) basic needs: health, safety and wellness; 2)  school, family, and community engagement and connections; and 3) education, training, employment, transitions, and readiness for careers and adulthood.  The Working Group is focusing on youth up to age 24.  The questions from the working group are:

(a)What is the single most important thing youth need to be successful?; (b) What programs really make a difference in the lives of youth?  How do you know this?; (c) What are the barriers to collaborating to improving youth outcomes and how can these barriers be removed?; (d) What can federal agencies do to assist?  What are your ideas for federal policy to improve coordination, effectiveness and efficiency of program affecting youth?; (e) How can youth be engaged in these efforts?

Comments are due on January 20, 2011.  For additional information refer to Federal Register, Vol. 75, No. 244.

On January 11, ACF released information on the SACWIS Assessment Review Guide (SARG) and requests public comments.  The SARG guides ACF through validating the state’s efforts to meet federal reporting requirements for The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS); the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS); Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) and the Chafee Independent Living Program National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD).    These systems are used to provide information to conduct Child and Family Service Reviews, and Title IV-E Eligibility Reviews.  Through the review, ACF examines how well the state has implemented the APD and has conformed to all applicable federal regulations and policies.  The Department requests comments on the following:

(a)  Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency 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.

Comments and suggestions must be submitted within 60 days – on or about March 13, 2011.

About Kay Casey

Kay Casey has over 20 years of experience in federal and state child welfare policy and programs, having worked for the federal Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the Florida Department of Children and Families prior to joining PCG. She is responsible for the review and assessment of fiscal processing systems that impact a state’s ability to identify, document, and report expenditures for federal reporting purposes accompanied with the programmatic impact on the state’s system of care.

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