11/03

KD 4.10 Organization [68 FR 65291-65303, 11/19/03]. The Administration for Children and Families, Region IV, Atlanta Office is organized as follows:

Office of the Regional Administrator (KD4A)
Office of the Deputy Regional Administrator (KD4B)
Division of Community Programs (KD4B1)
Division of State Programs (KD4B2)

KD4.20 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 is responsible for administration and oversight of the Administration for Children and Families' (ACF) programs and key national goals and priorities. It represents ACF's regional interests, concerns, and relationships within the Department and among other Federal agencies and focuses on state agency culture change, more effective partnerships, and improved customer service and results-oriented performance measurement. The Office provides executive leadership and direction to state, county, city, 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 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 ACF goals 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.

Within the Office of the Regional Administrator are a Special Initiatives Staff and an Administrative Staff. The Special Initiatives staff is responsible for providing leadership, direction, coordination and implementation of Administration, HHS, and ACF priorities and initiatives in the Region. The staff assists the Regional Administrator in the promotion and establishment of collaborative partnerships of the priorities and initiatives in every program area. Additionally, it serves as focal point for media inquires and public affairs activities and liaison with the Office of Community Services relative to the development of partnerships and collaborations around the Community Services/Action Agencies activities. The Administrative staff manages the regional administrative functions, budget planning and execution process, human resources and staff development activities, and technology.

B. The Office of the Deputy Regional Administrator [68 FR 65291-65303, 11/19/03] consists of the Deputy and the Grants Officers. The Deputy Regional Administrator serves as the full deputy or “alter ego” to the Regional Administrator, Administration for Children and Families. The Deputy assists the Regional Administrator with responsibility for providing executive direction, leadership and coordination to all ACF programs, financial operations and related activities in the Region. The Deputy has primary responsibility for overseeing day-to-day program operations. In the absence of the Regional Administrator, the Deputy Regional Administrator acts on all within the jurisdiction of the Regional Administrator, with full authority.

The Grants Officer, functioning independently of all program offices, provides program staff with expertise in the technical and other non-programmatic areas of grants administration, and provides appropriate internal control and checks and balances to ensure financial integrity in all phases of the grants process.

C. The Division of Community Programs [68 FR 65291-65303, 11/19/03] is headed by a Director who reports to the Deputy Regional Administrator. The Division consists of three branches with responsibility for ACF oversight and technical administration of the Head Start and discretionary grants funded directly from ACF to community-based grantees in the eight states. The Division provides policy guidance to county, city, town or tribal governments and public and private organizations to assure consistent compliance with federal requirements and the adoption of appropriate policies and procedures. The Division performs systematic on-site reviews of grantees to determine compliance with applicable federal requirements, requiring correction of identified deficiencies and, where necessary, adverse actions including defunding of dysfunctional grantees. The Division performs systematic fiscal reviews, makes recommendations to the Deputy Regional Administrator and Regional Administrator to approve or disallow costs under the ACF discretionary grant regulations, and makes recommendations regarding grant approval and disapproval. The Division issues discretionary grant awards based on a review of project objectives, budget projections, and proposed funding levels. The Division makes recommendations on the clearance and closure of grantee audits, paying particular attention to financial management deficiencies that decrease the efficiency and effectiveness of program service delivery to customers, and taking steps to monitor the resolution of such deficiencies. The Division oversees the management and coordination of the Head Start automation systems such as the Grant Application and Budget Instrument (GABI) for budget analysis on Head Start refunding applications, and to monitor grantee systems projects such as the Head Start Program Information Report (PIR) and the Head Start Management Tracking System. The Division represents the Regional Administrator in dealing with grantees on all matters of program policy and financial matters under its jurisdiction, providing early warnings on problems or issues that may have significant implications for ACF programs operated by local grantees.

D. The Division of State Programs [68 FR 65291-65303, 11/19/03] is headed by a Director who reports to the Deputy Regional Administrator. The Division consists of three branches responsible for providing centralized management, financial management services, and technical administration of ACF formula, block and entitlement programs including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Child Care, Child Support Enforcement, Foster Care and Adoption Assistance, Child Welfare, Family Preservation and Support Services, Child Abuse and Neglect and Developmental Disabilities.

The Division provides policy guidance to state, county, city, town or tribal governments and public and private organizations to assure consistent and uniform adherence to federal requirements governing ACF grants. State plans are reviewed and recommendations made to the Regional Administrator concerning state plan approvals or disapprovals. The Division provides technical assistance to entities responsible for administering ACF grants, resolving identified problems and ensuring adoption of appropriate procedures and practices that promote policy compliance and program efficiency and effectiveness. The Division provides financial management oversight for ACF grants under its jurisdiction; reviews cost allocation plans, program objectives, budget projections, cost estimates, and reports. The Division performs systematic fiscal reviews and makes recommendations to the Regional Administrator to approve, defer, or disallow claims for financial participation in ACF grants. As applicable, the Division makes recommendations regarding the clearance and closure of audits, paying particular attention to financial management deficiencies that decrease the efficiency and effectiveness of ACF programs and closely monitors the resolution of such deficiencies.

The Division represents the Regional Administrator in dealing with entities receiving ACF funding on all matters under its jurisdiction, and in providing early warnings of problems or issues that may have significant implications for ACF programs. Additionally, the Division provides oversight of state systems projects for ACF programs and is focal point for technical assistance to states on the development and enhancement of automated systems.

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