11/03

KD3.10 Organization [68 FR 65291-65303, 11/19/03]. The Administration for Children and Families, Region III, Philadelphia Office is organized as follows:

Office of the Regional Administrator (KD3A)
Office of Program and Administrative Support (KD3B)
Office of Family Services (KD3C)
Office of Child Development and Developmental Disabilities (KD3D)

KD3.20 Functions. A. The Regional Office [68 FR 65291-65303, 11/19/03] is headed by a Regional Administrator who reports to the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families through the Director, Office of Regional Operations. The Office provides executive leadership and directives to state, county, city, territorial and tribal governments, as well as public and private local grantees to ensure effective and efficient program and financial management. It ensures that these entities conform to federal laws, regulations, policies and procedures governing the programs, and exercises all delegated authorities and responsibilities for oversight of the programs.

The Office, through its Grants Officer, establishes regional financial management priorities. The Office provides cost allocation and financial support to the Office of Family Services and the Office of Child Development and Developmental Disabilities. The Office takes action to approve certain state plans and submits recommendations to the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families concerning state plan disapproval, where applicable. The Office contributes to the development of national policy based on regional perspectives on all ACF programs. It oversees ACF operations and the management of ACF regional staff; coordinates activities across regional programs; and assures that goals and objectives are met and departmental and agency initiatives are carried out. The Office alerts the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families to problems and issues that may have significant regional or national impact. The Office provides executive representation for ACF in regional external communications and serves as ACF liaison with the HHS Regional Director, other HHS operating divisions, other federal agencies, and public or private local organizations representing children and families.

B. The Office of Program and Administrative Support [68 FR 65291-65303, 11/19/03] is headed by an Assistant Regional Administrator who reports to the Regional Administrator. The Office assists the Regional Administrator in providing day-to-day support for regional administrative functions, including budget, performance management, procurement, property management, financial management, external and internal systems, statistical analyses, employee relations and human resource development activities.

The Office oversees the management and coordination of automated systems in the region, and provides data management and statistical analysis support to all Regional Office components. Data management responsibilities include the development of automated system applications to support and enhance program, fiscal, administrative and quality control operations, and the compilation and analysis of data on demographic and service trends that assist in monitoring and oversight responsibilities. Statistical analysis functions include the review of state and federal sampling procedures. The Office is also responsible for the development and maintenance of internal software applications to support the operation of the region’s other components and provides backup to the OIS on-site Systems Administrator. The Office represents the Regional Administrator on administrative matters and on internal and state systems matters with ACF central office, states, contractors and grantees. It alerts the Regional Administrator to problems or issues that have significant implications for functional areas under its jurisdiction.

C. The Office of Family Services [68 FR 65291-65303, 11/19/03] is headed by an Assistant Regional Administrator who reports to the Regional Administrator. The Office is responsible for providing centralized management, financial management services, and technical administration of ACF formula, block and entitlement programs such as TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families),Child Care, Child Support Enforcement (CSE), Foster Care and Adoption Assistance, Child Welfare, Child Abuse and Neglect and the discretionary Runaway and Homeless Youth Program.

The Office provides policy guidance to state, county, city or town and tribal governments and public and private organizations to assure consistent and uniform adherence to federal requirements governing formula and entitlement programs. State plans are reviewed and recommendations concerning state plan approval or disapproval are made to the Regional Administrator. The Office provides technical assistance to entities responsible for administering these programs to resolve identified problems, ensures that appropriate procedures and practices are adopted, monitors the programs to ensure their efficiency and effectiveness, establishes regional financial management priorities and reviews cost allocation plans, and monitors state systems projects for the CSE, TANF, Child Care, and Child Welfare programs. The Office provides financial management services for ACF formula and entitlement grants in the region as well as for the Runaway and Homeless Youth Program, which is a discretionary grant. The Office issues discretionary grant awards based on a review of project objectives, budget projections, and proposed funding levels. The Office also reviews cost estimates and reports for ACF entitlement and formula grant programs and recommends funding levels. The Office performs systematic fiscal reviews and makes recommendations to the Regional Administrator to approve, defer or disallow claims for federal financial participation in ACF formula and entitlement grant programs. As applicable, recommendations are made on the clearance and closure of audits, paying particular attention to financial management deficiencies that decrease the efficiency and effectiveness of the ACF programs and taking steps to monitor the resolution of such deficiencies. The Office represents the Regional Administrator in dealing with the ACF program offices on all program and financial policy matters under its jurisdiction. Alerts or early warnings are provided to the Regional Administrator regarding problems or issues that may have significant implications for the programs.

D. The Office of Child Development and Developmental Disabilities [68 FR 65291-65303, 11/19/03] is headed by an Assistant Regional Administrator who reports to the Regional Administrator. The Office is responsible for providing centralized management, financial management services, and technical administration of ACF grant programs such as Head Start, Early Head Start, and Developmental Disabilities programs.

In that regard, the Office provides policy guidance to state, county, city or town and tribal governments and public and private organizations to assure consistent and uniform adherence to federal requirements. The Office provides technical assistance to entities responsible for administering these programs to ensure that appropriate procedures and practices are adopted, and monitors the programs to ensure their efficiency and effectiveness. The Office performs systematic fiscal reviews; makes recommendations to the Regional Administrator to approve or disallow costs under ACF discretionary grant programs; and makes recommendations to the Regional Administrator concerning state plan approval or disapproval, as applicable. The Office issues discretionary grant awards based on a review of project objectives, budget projections, and proposed funding levels. As applicable, recommendations are made on the clearance and closure of audits of grantee programs, paying particular attention to financial management deficiencies that decrease the efficiency and effectiveness of the ACF programs and taking steps to monitor the resolution of such deficiencies.

The Office represents the Regional Administrator in dealing with ACF program offices on all program policy and financial matters under its jurisdiction. Alerts or early warnings are provided to the Regional Administrator regarding problems or issues that may have significant implications on the programs.

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