National Communication System for Runaway and Homeless Youth Data Collection

Forms and Documents

Document Name	Status
NonSub Change_EO Updates NRS RHY_0970-0610_7.28.25 - v1 - clean.docx Justification for No Material/Nonsubstantive Change	2025-08-06
NRS Supporting Statement A Revised 01-09-2023 Final 03-07-2023 - Clean update.docx Supporting Statement A	2025-08-06

IC Document Collections

IC ID	Document Title	Status
258939	Youth in Crisis Form Other-Online Form	Modified
258938	NRS Live Chat Form Other-Online Form	Unchanged

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 0970-0610	ICR Reference No: 202508-0970-001
Status: Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 202303-0970-001
Agency/Subagency: HHS/ACF	Agency Tracking No: FYSB
Title: National Communication System for Runaway and Homeless Youth Data Collection
Type of Information Collection: No material or nonsubstantive change to a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved without change	Conclusion Date: 08/06/2025
	Date Received in OIRA: 08/06/2025
Terms of Clearance:

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	05/31/2026	05/31/2026	05/31/2026
Responses	76,872	0	76,872
Time Burden (Hours)	30,153	0	30,153
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

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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 and families of youth at risk of running away and/or becoming homeless 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. The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA), as reauthorized by the Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008 (P.L.110-378) through FY 2013 and more recently reauthorized by the Juvenile Justice Reform Act through FY 2019, mandates the Secretary shall make grants for a national communication system to assist runaway and homeless youth in communicating with their families and with service providers. The NRS is required to have a system for collecting and analyzing data 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 monthly and semi-annual reports that includes the following: • Number of calls received, answered, and missed. • 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. • Number of parents, legal guardians, and service providers contacting the NRS and the type of resources, interventions, and technical support/assistance requested and provided. • Number and type of prevention materials disseminated to communities, especially to underserved populations. • Number and type of unique visitors to the NRS’ website. • Information on referrals provided and where youth were referred for services. • Information on the callers' or users' demographics and where they were located when contacting the NRS. • Information on the prevention materials developed and disseminated by the NRS. • Information and analysis of the latest trends and their impact on runaway prevention. The NRS uses two forms, one form to collect relevant information disclosed during calls, emails, and forum posts, and then a second form to collect information from chats. All data will be provided to FYSB in the aggregate and no personally identifiable information are collected. This nonsubstantive change request is in response to the Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government Executive Order (Defending Women EO). ACF has implemented changes to update gender collected data to denote sex as a biological variable in current approved information collection requests to comply with the directives. This request is specific to only these updates.

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Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 34 USC 11231 Name of Law: National Communication System for Runaway and Homeless Youth
   PL: Pub.L. 110 - 378 3 Name of Law: Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008
   EO: EO 13985 Name/Subject of EO: Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government
  

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

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Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	87 FR 40246	07/06/2022
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	88 FR 15038	03/10/2023
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 2

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
NRS Live Chat Form
Youth in Crisis Form

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ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	76,872	76,872	0	0	0	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	30,153	30,153	0	0	0	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0	0	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Increase Due to:

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement:

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $1,600,000

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     No

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? No

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Common Form ICR:  No

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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:

(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;

(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;

(c) It reduces burden on small entities;

(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;

(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;

(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;

(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:

(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;

(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.

(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and

(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.

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.

Certification Date: 08/06/2025

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