GAO-05-678R Update on Prekindergarten Care and Education Programs 

United States Government Accountability Office

Washington, DC 20548 

June 2, 2005 

The Honorable Michael B. Enzi 

Chairman 

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

United States Senate 

The Honorable Lamar Alexander 

Chairman 

Subcommittee on Education and Early Childhood Development 

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

United States Senate 

The Honorable George V. Voinovich 

Chairman 

Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, 

 the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia 

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

United States Senate 

Subject: GAO Update on the Number of Prekindergarten Care and Education 

Programs

This letter responds to your request concerning our April 2000 report, Early 

Education and Care: Overlap Indicates Need to Assess Crosscutting Programs 

(GAO/HEHS-00-78). Given the historical concern regarding the potential for program 

overlap among federal early childhood education and care programs, you asked that 

we update the list of programs providing or supporting education or care for children 

under the age of 5. The 2000 list included 69 programs, which were administered by 9 

different agencies.1

 

To respond to your request, we replicated the keyword search from our 2000 report 

using the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA). After assessing the 

reliability of the CFDA, we determined it was suitable for our purposes. We obtained 

explanations regarding programs that were deleted from the CFDA. Our search 

yielded 254 programs, and we reviewed their descriptions to determine if they met 

three criteria: (1) directly funded or supported education and/or child care, 

(2) provided these services to children under age 5, and (3) delivered services in an 

 

1 This report was a follow-up to a 1994 report in which we found that there were 90 early childhood programs at the federal 

level: Early Childhood Programs: Multiple Programs and Overlapping Target Groups (GAO/HEHS-95-4FS, Oct. 31, 1994).
Page 2 GAO-05-678R Update on Prekindergarten Care and Education Programs 

educational or child care setting. Based on this review, we selected over 70 programs 

as potentially meeting these criteria and provided agencies with the opportunity to 

comment on this assessment. 

Generally, we found that the landscape of federal programs offered remained largely 

the same as in 2000. We identified 69 programs as meeting our criteria and found that 

10 agencies administer these programs.2 While the total number of programs 

remained the same, there were, however, some changes in the makeup of the list. 

Specifically, 16 programs were removed3 from the list and 16 were added.4 The 

Department of Education, the agency responsible for the most programs on the list, 

had the biggest change, dropping 11 programs from the original list and adding 5 

programs. 

For 13 programs in our 2000 report, agencies questioned in their comments whether 

the program should be included based on our criteria. For purposes of our report, we 

have interpreted our criteria broadly. Based on our review of the relevant legal and 

program documents and discussions with agency officials, we found that our criteria 

warrants including all but 2 of these 13 programs as providing or supporting care and 

education programs for children under 5 in an educational or child care setting. 

There are several caveats associated with this current work. This analysis does not 

provide information on the types of services provided by these programs, their 

budget outlays, or the number of children they serve. In addition, it is important to 

note that providing child care or education is the sole focus for some programs while 

for others it is only an allowable service. For these programs, some agencies noted 

that the utilization of these services was minimal or nonexistent. Finally, we did not 

examine the role that tax expenditures such as the Child and Dependent Care Tax 

Credit or Employer Provided Child Care Tax Credit play in supporting child care or 

early education. 

The results of our analysis are provided in two enclosures. The first enclosure is a 

table updating the list of programs that we included in our 2000 report. The second 

enclosure shows additional programs that meet our criteria and merit inclusion in the 

list of education and child care programs. 

- - - 

As agreed with your offices, unless you publicly announce its content earlier, we plan 

no further distribution of this letter until 30 days after its date. At that time, we will 

send copies of this letter to the Departments of Agriculture, Housing and Urban 

Development, Interior, Justice, Labor, Education, Health and Human Services, and 

Homeland Security, along with the Appalachian Regional Commission and General 

 

2

The one additional agency that is now part of our list is the Department of Homeland Security, which absorbed a program that 

had previously been included under the Department of Justice in our 2000 report.

3

Of the programs removed, 13 were no longer in the CFDA because they had been ended, consolidated, or transferred since 

2000, 1 was consolidated into another, and we determined that 2 should not be in the 2005 list based on agency comments and 

our review of relevant legal and program documents. 4 Of the programs added, 12 were additional programs that warranted inclusion and 4 stem from the CFDA making further 

distinctions among WIA programs than it did in 2000.
Page 3 GAO-05-678R Update on Prekindergarten Care and Education Programs 

Services Administration and other interested parties. The letter will also be available 

on GAO’s home page at http://www.gao.gov. 

If you have any questions about this letter, please contact me at (202) 512-7215. You 

may also reach me by e-mail at shaulm@gao.gov. Patrick diBattista served as 

assistant director on this engagement. Scott Heacock was the analyst-in-charge. Sara 

Schibanoff and Linda Stokes were also key contributors to this letter. 

Marnie Shaul 

Director, Education, Workforce, 

 and Income Security Issues 

Enclosures 
Page 4 GAO-05-678R Update on Prekindergarten Care and Education Programs 

Enclosure I Enclosure I 

Table 1: Update of 2000 Report List 

Removed 

from CFDAa

Remains on 

list Notes 

Agriculture 

10.550 Food Distribution Program Xb

Program name is currently Food 

Donation 

10.553 School Breakfast Program Xb

10.555 National School Lunch Program Xb

10.556 Special Milk Program for Children Xb

10.558 Child and Adult Care Food 

Program X 

10.559 Summer Food Service Program for 

Children X 

10.564 Nutrition, Education and Training 

Program X 

Agency reported that this 

program is no longer funded. 

10.565 Commodity Supplemental Food 

Program Xb

Housing and Urban Development 

14.218 Community Development Block 

Grants/Entitlement Grants X 

14.219 Community Development Block 

Grants/Small Cities Program X 

14.231 Emergency Shelter Grants 

Program X 

14.235 Supportive Housing Program 

(transitional housing) X 

14.870 Resident Opportunity and 

Supportive Services X 

Interior 

15.043 Indian Child and Family Education 

(FACE) X 

Justice 

16.201 Cuban and Haitian Entrant 

Resettlement Program Xb

Program transferred to 97.009 

(Cuban/Haitian Entrant 

Program) in 2003 under the 

Department of Homeland 

Security. 

16.730 Reduction and Prevention of 

Children’s Exposure to Violence (Safe 

Start) X 

Labor 

17.211 Job Corps X 

Despite being deleted from the 

CFDA, this program still exists 

and warrants inclusion 

according to agency. 
Page 5 GAO-05-678R Update on Prekindergarten Care and Education Programs 

Enclosure I Enclosure I 

Labor 

17.247 Migrant and Seasonal 

Farmworkers X b

Program consolidated into 

17.264 (Migrant and Seasonal 

Farmworkers) in 2002. 

17.251 Native American Employment and 

Training Program X 

Program consolidated into 

17.265 (Native American 

Employment and Training) in 

2002. 

17.255 Workforce Investment Act (WIA) X 

Program consolidated into 

17.258 (WIA Adult Program), 

17.259 (WIA Youth Activities) in 

2001. WIA also includes 

17.260 (WIA Dislocated 

Workers), 17.263 (Youth 

Opportunity Grants), and 

17.266 (Work Incentives Grant). 

All five programs are counted 

on this list. 

Appalachian Regional Commission 

23.002 Appalachia—Supplements to 

Federal Grant-in-Aid (area development) X 

Name changed to Appalachian 

Area Development in 1999. 

General Services Administration 

39.003 Donation of Federal Surplus 

Personal Property X 

Education 

84.010 Title I Grants to Local Educational 

Agencies (basic, concentration, and 

targeted grants) X 

84.011 Migrant Education—Basic State 

Grant Program X 

84.027 Special Education—Grants to 

States X 

84.041 Impact Aid X 

84.060 Indian Education—Grants to Local 

Educational Agencies X 

84.162 Immigrant Education X 

According to agency, this 

program no longer exists. 

84.173 Special Education—Preschool 

Grants (IDEA) X 

84.181 Special Education—Grants for 

Infants and Families with Disabilities X 

84.186 Safe and Drug-Free Schools and 

Communities—State Grants X 

84.196 Education for Homeless Children 

and Youth X 

84.209 Native Hawaiian Family Based 

Education Centers X 

According to agency, the No 

Child Left Behind Act 

consolidated the program into 

one broader authority. 

84.213 Even Start—State Educational 

Agencies X 

84.214 Even Start—Migrant Education X 

84.258 Even Start—Indian Tribes and 

Tribal Organizations X 
Page 6 GAO-05-678R Update on Prekindergarten Care and Education Programs 

Enclosure I Enclosure I 

Education 

84.276 Goals 2000—State and Local 

Education Systemic Improvement Grants X 

According to agency, this 

program was repealed in 2000. 

84.282 Charter Schools X 

84.287 Twenty-First Century Community 

Learning Centers X 

84.288 Bilingual Education—Program 

Development and Implementation Grants X 

84.289 Bilingual Education—Program 

Enhancement Grants X 

84.290 Bilingual Education—

Comprehensive School Grants X 

84.291 Bilingual Education—Systemwide 

Improvement Grants X 

According to agency, these 

programs no longer are 

authorized. All four bilingual 

programs were consolidated 

under the No Child Left Behind 

Act. 

84.295 Ready-to-Learn Television X 

84.296 Native Hawaiian Community-Based 

Education Learning Centers X 

According to agency, the No 

Child Left Behind Act 

consolidated the program into 

one broader authority. 

84.298 Innovative Education Program 

Strategies X 

84.299 Demonstration Grants for Indian 

Children X 

Despite not being listed in the 

CFDA, this program still exists 

and warrants inclusion 

according to agency. 

84.303 Technology Innovation Challenge 

Grants X 

According to agency, this 

program no longer exists. 

84.310 Goals 2000: Parental Assistance 

Program X 

Name changed to Parental 

Assistance Centers in 2002. 

84.318 Technology Literacy Challenge 

Fund Grants X b

Name changed to Education 

Technology State Grants in 

2003. 

84.321 Alaska Native Home-Based 

Education for Preschool Children X 

According to agency, this 

program was not reauthorized 

by the No Child Left Behind Act. 

84.323 Special Education—State Program 

Improvement Grants for Children With 

Disabilities X b

84.327 Special Education—Technology 

and Media Services for Individuals With 

Disabilities X b

84.332 Comprehensive School Reform 

Demonstration X b

84.335 Child Care Access Means Parents 

in School X 

84.338 Reading Excellence X 

According to agency, this 

program was replaced by 

Reading First, a program 

focusing on children in 

kindergarten to third grade. 
Page 7 GAO-05-678R Update on Prekindergarten Care and Education Programs 

Enclosure I Enclosure I 

HHS 

93.101 Grants for Residential Treatment 

Programs for Pregnant and Postpartum 

Women X 

93.102 Demonstration Grants for 

Residential Treatment for Women and 

Their Children X 

According to agency, these two 

programs were consolidated 

into 93.243 (Substance Abuse 

and Mental Health Services – 

Projects of Regional and 

National Significance), which 

meets our criteria. 

93.125 Mental Health Planning and 

Demonstration Projects X 

According to agency, this 

program no longer exists. 

93.558 Temporary Assistance for Needy 

Families (TANF) X 

93.566 Refugee and Entrant Assistance—

State-Administered Programs X 

93.571 Community Services Block Grant 

Discretionary Awards—Community Food 

and Nutritionc

 

Agency reported that this 

program did not meet our 

criteria; our review confirmed 

this. 

93.575 Child Care Development Fund X 

Name changed to Child Care 

and Development Block Grant 

in 1995. 

93.576 Refugee and Entrant Assistance—

Discretionary Grants X 

93.583 Refugee and Entrant Assistance—

Wilson/Fish Programs c 

Agency reported that this 

program does not meet our 

criteria; our review confirmed 

this. 

93.584 Refugee and Entrant Assistance—

Targeted Assistance X 

93.600 Head Start X 

93.645 Child Welfare Services—State 

Grants X 

93.667 Social Services Block Grant X 

a

In some cases, programs were deleted from the CFDA. In other instances, they were transferred or consolidated. b

The agency questioned whether its program meets our criteria. For purposes of our report, we have interpreted out criteria 

broadly and have determined that each of the programs listed meets the criteria. For example, we determined that grants to 

state agencies and nutrition programs in school settings are forms of support and that some of the children who benefit will 

meet our age criteria. 

c

This program is not included in the 2005 list. 
Page 8 GAO-05-678R Update on Prekindergarten Care and Education Programs 

Enclosure II Enclosure II 

Table 2: Additional Programs 

Interior 

15.130 Indian Education—Assistance to Schools 

15.144 Indian Child Welfare Act—Title II Grants 

Justice 

16.575 Crime Victim Assistance 

16.736 Transitional Housing Assistance for Victims of Domestic Violence, Stalking, or Sexual Assaulta

Education 

84.245 Tribally Controlled Postsecondary Vocational and Technical Institutions 

84.356 Alaska Native Educational Programsa

84.359 Early Reading Firsta

84.362 Native Hawaiian Educationa

84.365 English Language Acquisition Grantsa

HHS 

93.569 Community Services Block Grant 

93.577 Early Learning Funda

93.596 Child Care Mandatory and Matching Funds of the Child Care and Development Fund 

a

Program added to CFDA since 2000 report. 

(130468)