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Notice2026-16187

Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review; National Communication System for Runaway and Homeless Youth, Currently Operated by the National Runaway Safeline Data Collection

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Published
August 7, 2026

Issuing agencies

Health and Human Services DepartmentChildren and Families Administration

Abstract

The Family and Youth Services Bureau's (FYSB) Runaway and Homeless Youth Division has a legislative requirement to fund a National Communication System, which is currently operated by the National Runaway Safeline (NRS). The NRS provides information, referral services, crisis intervention, and prevention resources to vulnerable youth at risk of running away and/or becoming homeless and their families or legal guardians at no cost. When necessary, the NRS refers runaway and homeless youth to shelters, counseling, medical assistance, and other vital services. The NRS collects information from all contacts with youth and adults connecting with the NRS (i.e., parents, family members, legal guardians, service providers) on a voluntary basis to inform crisis services and develop an annual report on the information collected during calls, chats, emails, and forum posts from young people who reached out to the NRS's crisis services. This information collection is approved under Office of Management and Budget (OMB)#: 0970-0610. FYSB plans to submit a request to OMB to extend approval of these activities beyond the current expiration date of May 31, 2026.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 151 (Friday, August 7, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 151 (Friday, August 7, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51174-51175]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-16187]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

[Office of Management and Budget #: 0970-0610]


Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review; National 
Communication System for Runaway and Homeless Youth, Currently Operated 
by the National Runaway Safeline Data Collection

AGENCY: Family and Youth Services Bureau, Administration for Children 
and Families, Department of Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Request for Public Comments.

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SUMMARY: The Family and Youth Services Bureau's (FYSB) Runaway and 
Homeless Youth Division has a legislative requirement to fund a 
National Communication System, which is currently operated by the 
National Runaway Safeline (NRS). The NRS provides information, referral 
services, crisis intervention, and prevention resources to vulnerable 
youth at risk of running away and/or becoming homeless and their 
families or legal guardians at no cost. When necessary, the NRS refers 
runaway and homeless youth to shelters, counseling, medical assistance, 
and other vital services. The NRS collects information from all 
contacts with youth and adults connecting with the NRS (i.e., parents, 
family members, legal guardians, service providers) on a voluntary 
basis to inform crisis services and develop an annual report on the 
information collected during calls, chats, emails, and forum posts from 
young people who reached out to the NRS's crisis services. This 
information collection is approved under Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB)#: 0970-0610. FYSB plans to submit a request to OMB to 
extend

[[Page 51175]]

approval of these activities beyond the current expiration date of May 
31, 2026.

DATES: Comments due September 8, 2026.

ADDRESSES: The public may view and comment on this information 
collection request at: <a href="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202608-0970-001">https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202608-0970-001</a>. You can also obtain copies of the 
proposed collection of information by emailing 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#70191e161f131f1c1c151304191f1e301113165e1818035e171f06"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e38a8d858c808c8f8f8680978a8c8da3828085cd8b8b90cd848c95">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>. Identify all emailed requests by the title 
of the information collection.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Description: The NRS is required to have a system for collecting 
and analyzing data to report on calls, emails, chat, texts, and online 
messages received as well as other information, such as prevention 
resources, referrals, demographics, and visitors to the NRS website. 
The NRS must submit to FYSB monthly and semi-annual reports that 
include the following:
    <bullet> Number of calls received, answered, and missed.
    <bullet> Number of chats, emails, and texts received; number of 
chats, emails, and texts answered; and number of chats, emails, and 
texts that were missed and did not receive a response, in which the 
users are youth in crisis, runaway youth, and youth experiencing 
homelessness.
    <bullet> Number of parents, legal guardians, and service providers 
contacting the NRS and the type of resources, interventions, and 
technical support/assistance requested and provided.
    <bullet> Number and type of prevention materials disseminated to 
communities, especially to underserved populations.
    <bullet> Number and type of unique visitors to the NRS' website.
    <bullet> Information on referrals provided and where youth were 
referred for services.
    <bullet> Information on the callers' or users' demographics and 
where they were located when contacting the NRS.
    <bullet> Information on the prevention materials developed and 
disseminated by the NRS.
    <bullet> Information and analysis of the latest trends and their 
impact on runaway prevention.
    The NRS will continue to use two online forms, one form to collect 
relevant information disclosed during calls, emails, and forum posts 
and a second online form to collect information from chats. All data 
will be provided to FYSB in the aggregate and no personally 
identifiable data are collected.
    The information collected will allow FYSB to better understand the 
types of services needed by youth contacting the NRS, as well as to 
identify outreach and prevention strategies to increase the visibility 
of the NRS services among youth experiencing housing instability, 
homelessness, youth who run away, and youth in crisis. Additionally, 
The findings from this data collection will be included in a required 
report to Congress to provide accurate information on the status of 
youth in crisis and runaway and homeless youth nationwide.
    Respondents: Youth and adults who contact the NRS during calls, 
chats, emails, and forum posts.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
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                                                   Total number   Average burden
           Instrument              Total number    of responses      hours per     Total burden    Annual burden
                                  of respondents  per respondent     response          hours           hours
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Youth in Crisis Form............          47,175               1             .23          10,850           3,617
NRS Live Chat Form..............          29,679               1             .65          19,291           6,430
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    Estimated Total Annual        ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............          10,047
     Burden Hours...............
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    Authority: Section 331 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act 
authorize the award of grants for the National Communication System for 
Runaway and Homeless Youth (34 U.S.C. 11231).


Mary C. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2026-16187 Filed 8-6-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4182-04-P


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Indexed from Federal Register on August 7, 2026.

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