ERIC Number: ED652040
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Feb
Pages: 50
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Head Start: Opportunities Exist to Better Align Resources with Child Poverty. Report to Congressional Committees. GAO-24-106077
Jacqueline M. Nowicki
US Government Accountability Office
In 2021-2022, Head Start served nearly 790,000 young children, primarily from low-income families. However, the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) estimates that far more children are eligible than can be served due to limited resources, heightening the importance of targeting services effectively. House Report 117-96 includes a provision for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review the nationwide distribution of Head Start resources and what could help better align funding with need. This report examines the extent to which: (1) Head Start resources align geographically with child poverty; (2) statutory provisions support aligning resources with need; and (3) Office of Head Start (OHS), uses its grantmaking authority to align resources with need. GAO analyzed Head Start enrollment data from 2022 and Head Start funding and Census child poverty data from 2006 and 2021 (most recent available comparable data), interviewed OHS officials and stakeholder organizations, such as the National Head Start Association; and reviewed relevant federal laws and agency documents.
Descriptors: Poverty, Enrollment Trends, Low Income Students, Social Services, Federal Programs, Preschool Education, Eligibility, Access to Education, Accountability, Public Agencies, Resource Allocation, Educational Finance, Correlation, Grants, Census Figures, Federal Legislation, Reports, Comparative Analysis, Counties, State Programs, Preschool Children
US Government Accountability Office. 441 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20548. Tel: 202-512-6000; Web site: http://www.gao.gov
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: US Government Accountability Office (GAO)
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Head Start
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A