Procedural Justice-Informed Alternatives to Contempt Demonstration (PJAC)
No material or nonsubstantive change to a currently approved collection
No
Regular
02/24/2022
Requested
Previously Approved
04/30/2023
04/30/2023
1,396
3,920
629
2,310
0
0
The purpose of the Procedural Justice Informed Alternatives to Contempt Demonstration (PJAC) demonstration project is to assess the feasibility and efficacy of incorporating principles of procedural justice into child support services as a cost-effective alternative to civil contempt proceedings. The PJAC Demonstration will add to the evidence base on innovations in child support practices by evaluating PJAC’s impacts and determining whether the benefits of PJAC services exceed their costs. The PJAC Evaluation includes three key components: an implementation study, an impact study, and a benefit-cost study.
Information collection related to PJAC has been approved in two rounds. The initial package was approved in January 2018, and a revised package was approved in April 2020. Nonsubstantive change requests were approved in May 2020 to include questions about the COVID-19 pandemic for Instruments 3,4, and 7 and in July 2020 to allow for a web-based administration for Instrument 6.
The COVID-19 pandemic has extended longer than the project team could have anticipated, and as a result ACF would like to make some additional changes to Instruments 4 and 7 to explore the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the child support program and families.
Additionally, during this extended period, federal pandemic relief measures through the CARES Act, such as extended unemployment insurance, the expanded child tax credit, and economic impact payments, affected families with child support orders. An additional round of virtual interviews (Instruments 3, 4, and 7) data collection will allow the research team to learn about how families and child support operations were affected by these relief measures and their expiration. It will also allow the research team to learn about changes brought about by the more recent waves of the virus.
Finally, the team has proposed changes to improve the administration of instruments 4 and 7, based on experiences thus far.
US Code:
42 USC 1315
Name of Law: Section 1115 of the Social Security Act
The key reason for changes in burden is to reflect a change in the number of interview rounds for three interviews, and to update the request to only include the remaining number of respondents and associated burden.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
NonSub Change Request_20220218.docx
Attachment B_PJAC MDRC IRB Approval Letter.pdf
Instrument 7: Custodial Parent (CP) interview protocol