Notice2026-01936
Proposed Information Collection Activity; Safe Access for Victims' Economic Security Data Collection for Safety in Child Support Program Research (New Collection)
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
February 2, 2026
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentChildren and Families Administration
Abstract
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is requesting public comments on a proposed information collection as part of the Safe Access for Victims' Economic Security (SAVES) Demonstration research on safety in the child support program. The SAVES Center, responsible for providing technical assistance and conducting evaluation for SAVES, will conduct one-time data collection activities with domestic violence (DV) survivors, advocates, and child support staff to understand their experiences and to identify barriers and promising practices related to safety in the child support system. These activities are part of ACF's efforts to improve safety in the child support program under SAVES.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 21 (Monday, February 2, 2026)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 21 (Monday, February 2, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4562-4563]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-01936]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
Proposed Information Collection Activity; Safe Access for
Victims' Economic Security Data Collection for Safety in Child Support
Program Research (New Collection)
AGENCY: Office of Child Support Enforcement, Administration for
Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
ACTION: Request for public comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is
requesting public comments on a proposed information collection as part
of the Safe Access for Victims' Economic Security (SAVES) Demonstration
research on safety in the child support program. The SAVES Center,
responsible for providing technical assistance and conducting
evaluation for SAVES, will conduct one-time data collection activities
with domestic violence (DV) survivors, advocates, and child support
staff to understand their experiences and to identify barriers and
promising practices related to safety in the child support system.
These activities are part of ACF's efforts to improve safety in the
child support program under SAVES.
DATES: Comments due April 3, 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 <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b9d0d7dfd6dad6d5d5dcdacdd0d6d7f9d8dadf97d1d1ca97ded6cf"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4e272028212d2122222b2d3a2721200e2f2d286026263d60292138">[email protected]</span></a>. Identify all requests by the title
of the information collection.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Description: SAVES is a 5-year demonstration project funded by
ACF's Office of Child Support Enforcement that aims to increase safe
access to child support, parenting time, and establishment of parentage
services for survivors of DV.
The project was awarded in September 2022 to child support programs
in 12 states and one tribal jurisdiction and is now entering year four.
It aims to support grant recipients in implementing comprehensive
domestic violence safety policies, procedures, and outreach strategies
to improve access to child support and parenting time services for
parents who have not engaged with the child support program due to
safety concerns. The overarching goal is to ensure that DV survivors
who need child support services can access them safely.
As part of the research and evaluation component for SAVES, the
SAVES Center is conducting a series of data collection efforts to
understand the needs of DV survivors, the perspectives of DV advocates,
and the implementation experiences of child support professionals at
the 13 demonstration sites.
The SAVES Center proposes collecting new information to help
achieve the project's goals of increasing safety in the child support
program. Data collection for each instrument will occur once in year 4
of SAVES. Each respondent will respond to one instrument in year 4 and
all respondents will only provide one response to one instrument. The
proposed information collection will occur through the following
activities:
SAVES Mixed-Methods Information Collection with DV Survivors: This
includes in-depth qualitative interviews (Instrument 1: SAVES
Qualitative Interviews with DV Survivors) and a quantitative online
survey (Instrument 2: SAVES Quantitative Survey with DV Survivors) with
DV survivors to explore their experiences with and perceptions of the
child support program. The goal is to understand how safety concerns--
such as the risk of re-engagement with an abusive partner, fear of
retaliation, concerns about personal information being shared, or
negative experiences with legal or court processes--affect survivors'
decisions to engage with or avoid the child support system. By
capturing both individual- and system-
[[Page 4563]]
level barriers and facilitators, this data collection will provide
critical insights for DV advocates, researchers, and child support
agencies seeking to make the child support program more accessible and
responsive to survivors' safety needs.
SAVES Quantitative Survey with DV Advocates: This activity involves
a quantitative online survey (Instrument 3: SAVES Quantitative Survey
with DV Advocates) with DV advocates to gather insights about the
challenges and support needs of those assisting survivors who are
navigating the child support system. The survey aims to understand
where and how safety concerns arise for survivors--such as during court
proceedings, sharing information with abusive partners, or pressure to
engage with systems--that may not feel safe. It also explores how
advocates assess and mitigate those risks, coordinate with child
support agencies and identify gaps in policy or practice that affect
survivors' safety. Findings will inform efforts to strengthen cross-
agency collaboration and ensure that child support processes better
align with trauma-informed, survivor-centered practices.
SAVES Qualitative Data Collection with Child Support Staff and
Clients at Demonstration Sites: This component includes focus groups
with child support staff (Instrument 4: SAVES Focus Groups with Child
Support Staff at Demonstration Sites) and one-on-one interviews with
clients (Instrument 5: SAVES Qualitative Interviews with Clients
Receiving Safety-Focused Intervention Services at Demonstration Sites)
at the 13 SAVES demonstration sites. These instruments are designed to
assess how safety-focused child support interventions--such as enhanced
DV screening and assessment, specialized staff, modifications to court
service, parenting time, and paternity establishment--are being
implemented and experienced. For child support staff, the focus is on
understanding how these practices are integrated into daily operations,
what challenges they face, and how they perceive the impact on survivor
safety. For survivor clients, interviews aim to capture how safety
interventions affected their ability to safely access services, make
informed decisions, and maintain their well-being. Together, this data
will help identify promising practices and inform continued improvement
of survivor-centered approaches within the child support program.
Respondents:
<bullet> DV survivors who are parents and either have engaged with
child support program or are eligible but have not engaged (Instruments
1 and 2).
<bullet> DV advocates who work with DV survivors accessing child
support (Instrument 3).
<bullet> Child support staff at the 13 SAVES demonstration sites,
who have been involved with designing and/or implementing safety-
focused interventions (Instrument 4).
<bullet> DV survivors who are clients at one of the 13 SAVES
demonstration sites and have been receiving safety-focused
interventions (Instrument 5).
All instruments are to be completed one time in year 4. Respondents
will not be asked to complete more than one instrument.
Annual Burden Estimates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of
Number of responses per Average Total
Instrument respondents respondent burden per burden (in
(total over (total over response hours)
request period) request period) (in hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Instrument 1: SAVES Qualitative Interviews with DV 100 1 .083 8.3
Survivors--Screener Only...........................
Instrument 1: SAVES Qualitative Interviews with DV 100 1 1 100
Survivors--Screener & Interview....................
Instrument 2: SAVES Quantitative Survey with DV 2,000 1 0.083 166
Survivors--Screener Only...........................
Instrument 2: SAVES Quantitative Survey with DV 2,000 1 0.33 660
Survivors--Screener & Survey.......................
Instrument 3: SAVES Quantitative Survey with DV 1,200 1 0.33 396
Advocates..........................................
Instrument 4: SAVES Focus Groups with Child Support 65 1 1.5 98
Staff at Demonstration Sites.......................
Instrument 5: SAVES Qualitative Interviews with 65 1 0.75 49
Clients Receiving Safety-Focused Intervention
Services at Demonstration Sites....................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,477.3.
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. 1315. (<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title42/pdf/USCODE-2023-title42-chap7-subchapXI-partA-sec1315.pdf">https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title42/pdf/USCODE-2023-title42-chap7-subchapXI-partA-sec1315.pdf</a>).
Mary C. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2026-01936 Filed 1-30-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-41-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on February 2, 2026.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.