GAO

United States General Accounting Office

Report to the Chairman, Subcommittee

on Oversight of Government

Management, Restructuring and the

District of Columbia, U.S. Senate

April 2000 EARLY EDUCATION

AND CARE

Overlap Indicates

Need to Assess

Crosscutting

Programs

GAO/HEHS-00-78

Page 1 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

Contents

Letter 3

Appendixes Appendix I: Federal Programs That Provided or Supported

Education and Care for Children Under 5 Years of

Age, Fiscal Year 1999 30

Appendix II: Proportion of Children Receiving Services From

Education and Care Programs, by Target Group 34

Appendix III: Comments From the Department of Education 39

Appendix IV: Comments From the Department of Health and

Human Services 40

Tables Table 1: Federal Spending on Education and Care of Children

Under Age 5, Fiscal Year 1999 13

Table 2: Estimated Number of Participants Under Age 5 in Fiscal

Year 1999, by Program 14

Table 3: Federal Programs That Provide Education and Care to

Children Under Age 5, by Target Group 17

Table 4: Programs Targeting Native American Children—Proportion

of Participating Children Under Age 5 Receiving Services 22

Figures Figure 1: Number of Federal Programs That Provide or Support

Education and Care for Children Under Age 5, by

Department or Agency 9

Figure 2: Federal Programs With a Program Purpose of Providing

Education and Care That Serve Children Under Age 5,

by Federal Department and Office 11
Contents

Page 2 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

Abbreviations

BIA Bureau of Indian Affairs

CCDF Child Care Development Fund

Education Department of Education

GPRA Government Performance and Results Act

HHS Department of Health and Human Services

Interior Department of the Interior

SSBG Social Services Block Grant

TANF Temporary Assistance to Needy Families
Page 3 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

United States General Accounting Office

Washington, D.C. 20548

Health, Education, and

Human Services Division

B-283427 Letr

April 28, 2000

The Honorable George V. Voinovich

Chairman, Subcommittee on Oversight of

Government Management, Restructuring and

the District of Columbia

Committee on Governmental Affairs

United States Senate

Dear Mr. Chairman:

Over the last two decades, a nationwide emphasis on better preparing

children for school, understanding how children learn, and improving the

educational and social outcomes for all children has focused attention on

early childhood education and care. In response to these issues, a number

of federal programs have been created that focus either directly or

indirectly on early childhood education and care. In 1999, we testified that

the large number of programs creates the potential for inefficient service

delivery and difficulty accessing services.1 Because of your interest in the

early learning experiences of children, you asked us to update our 1994

report on multiple early childhood programs.2 Specifically, you asked us to

enumerate the federally funded programs that provide education, child

care, or services supporting education or child care for children under age

5, by agency (excluding Department of Defense programs and tax credits)

and, for programs that provide education and care as a program purpose, to

answer the following questions:

• In fiscal year 1999, what portion of the budget authority for these

programs was used for education and care for children under age 5 and

how many children in this age group participated in these programs?

• What types of children are these programs targeting and what services

are provided to children participating in the programs?

• What information would be needed to assess whether the current array

of federal programs is duplicative and what issues should be considered

1

Results Act: Using Agency Performance Plans to Oversee Early Childhood Programs

(GAO/T-HEHS-99-93, Mar. 25, 1999).

2

Early Childhood Programs: Multiple Programs and Overlapping Target Groups

(GAO/HEHS-95-4FS, Oct. 31, 1994).
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in developing options to improve the overall efficiency of federal early

childhood education and care programs?

To address your request, we electronically searched the June 1999 Catalog

of Federal Domestic Assistance using key words associated with early

childhood education and care.3 We analyzed the Catalog’s descriptions of

these programs to determine whether they (1) directly fund or support

education and/or child care, (2) provide these services to children under

age 5, and (3) deliver services in an educational or child care setting. We

classified those programs that met all three criteria as early childhood

education and care programs.

On the basis of the Catalog’s descriptions, we also identified a subset of

programs that provided education and care to children under age 5 and

whose purpose included education and care. We included Temporary

Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) in this subset, although education

and care is not a TANF program purpose, because TANF is a significant

funding source for child care activities. We contacted agency officials for

clarification in a few cases where we could not determine from the

Catalog’s descriptions whether providing education or child care was a

program purpose or whether the program provided services to children

under age 5. Using a short questionnaire sent to agency officials, we

obtained the following additional information on this subset of programs:

fiscal year 1999 budget authority, target population and number of children

receiving services, services provided, and the proportion of program

participants served who were under age 5.4 We did our work in accordance

with generally accepted government auditing standards between July 1999

and April 2000.

3

We used the Catalog’s federal program number as our unit of analysis when enumerating

programs. In some cases the Catalog assigns a single number to a set of related programs.

For example, Head Start has a single program number that includes related programs such

as Migrant, Native American, and Early Head Start. In other cases, related programs have

separate program numbers. For example, Migrant and Indian Even Start programs each

have program numbers distinct from the basic Even Start program.

4

To provide information about the proportion of children under age 5 served, program

officials used various data sources, such as discussions with grantees and state officials,

monitoring visit reports, performance reports, and anecdotal information.
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Results in Brief Sixty-nine federal programs provided or supported education and care for

children under age 5 in fiscal year 1999. Nine different federal agencies and

departments administered these programs, though the Departments of

Education (Education) and Health and Human Services (HHS) operated

most of them. Among the 69 programs, education and care was a program

purpose (for example, the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF)), an

allowable activity (for example, the Native American Employment and

Training Program), or was facilitated in some way by the program (for

example, the National School Lunch Program). Twenty-nine of these

programs, or about 40 percent, provided education and care as a program

purpose, but the extent to which they focused on education and care and

on children under age 5 varied. For example, Head Start focused almost

exclusively on providing education and care for children under age 5, while

this was a more minor focus for the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG),

where child care was one of many allowable activities. Education

administered 22 of the 29 programs, HHS administered 6, and the

Department of the Interior (Interior) administered 1.

Spending on early childhood education and care varied widely among the

29 programs. Of the 21 programs that provided data, about half spent a

significant proportion of their budget authority, 40 percent or more, on

education and care for children under age 5. The other programs that

provided data spent 13 percent or less of their budgets for this purpose.

The remaining eight programs could not provide an estimate. Programs

spending lesser proportions of their budgets on education and care for

children under age 5 spent program funds on other activities or other age

groups. The 29 programs spent at least $9 billion to provide education and

care to children under age 5 in fiscal year 1999. Three HHS programs—

Head Start, CCDF, and TANF—together accounted for approximately $8

billion of the $9 billion total.

The 29 programs targeted three major groups of children—the

economically disadvantaged, those with special needs, and members of

certain native populations. The three largest programs, in terms of

spending on children under age 5, targeted the economically

disadvantaged. Some of the smaller programs focused on narrower groups,

such as children with disabilities. The programs were generally allowed to

provide a broad range of services: health, dental, mental health, social,

parental, and nutritional services; speech and hearing assessments; and

disability screening. Only four programs actually provided most of these

services to a high proportion of the participants under age 5. For the most
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Page 6 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

part, the remaining programs provided services to a smaller proportion of

participants under age 5.

When multiple agencies manage multiple early childhood education and

care programs, mission fragmentation and program overlap occur. This in

turn creates the potential for duplication and service gaps. Though

sometimes necessary to meet federal priorities, mission fragmentation and

program overlap can create an environment in which programs do not

serve participants as efficiently and effectively as possible. To address

inefficiencies that may arise under these circumstances, policymakers

could choose to coordinate, integrate, or consolidate programs. In order to

identify the best method for addressing inefficiencies among fragmented

and overlapping programs, policymakers need to know, among other

things, whether programs are (1) fulfilling a unique role, (2) unnecessarily

redundant, or (3) being administered in the most effective way to meet

program as well as federal strategic goals. Information required by the

Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) should provide answers

to some of these questions and ultimately help to guide consideration of

different options for addressing potential problems among the current

configuration of early childhood education and care programs for young

children.

Background In 1994, GAO reported that the federal government administered more than

90 early childhood programs, of which 34 had education or child care as a

primary mission.5 These 34 programs delivered a variety of social, health,

and educational services and targeted many of them to economically

disadvantaged young children. Historically, child care programs and early

childhood education programs have existed separately with separate goals.

Child care programs, generally administered by HHS, subsidized the cost of

child care for low-income parents who were working or engaged in workrelated activities. In contrast, early childhood education programs,

generally administered by Education, focused on preparing young children

for school.6 More recently, the distinction between these two types of

programs has blurred as policymakers seek to make educationally

enriching care available to young children.

5

GAO-HEHS-95-4FS.

6

Education and Care: Early Childhood Programs and Services for Low-Income Families

(GAO/HEHS-00-11, Nov. 15, 1999).
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Page 7 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

Our past work has documented both mission fragmentation and program

overlap among federal early childhood education and care programs.7 Both

occur when more than one federal agency (or more than one bureau within

an agency) is involved in the same broad area of need. Fragmentation can

create inefficient service delivery and administrative complexity because

various agencies are administering similar programs serving similar groups

of children. In addition, mission fragmentation makes coordination among

agencies administering these programs necessary.8 Program overlap

creates the potential for duplication—which occurs when programs have

the same goals, the same activities or strategies to achieve them, or the

same targeted recipients. However, a certain amount of redundancy among

programs may be necessary to improve service delivery, or it may indicate

that a certain program is related to a number of areas.

Many Programs

Provide or Support

Education and Care,

but Less Than Half

Have This as a Program

Purpose

In fiscal year 1999, nine federal agencies or departments administered 69

programs that provided or to some degree supported education and care

for children under age 5. Of these, 29, or about 40 percent, provided

education and care as a program purpose. However, the extent to which

these programs focused on education and care and on children under age 5

varied.

Sixty-Nine Federal

Programs Provide or

Support Education and Care

for Children Under Age 5

Nationally, 69 federal programs provided or supported education and care

for children under age 5 in fiscal year 1999 (see fig. 1 and app. I). Among

these programs, education and care was a program purpose, or an

allowable activity, or the program in some way facilitated the education

and care of young children. For example, the purpose of CCDF is to

provide child care for children age 0 to 13, and the purpose of the Even

Start programs is to provide education and family literacy services to

children age 0 to 8 and their parents in low-income families. For some of

the programs, providing education and care was an allowable activity. The

7

See, for example, Managing for Results: Using the Results Act to Address Mission

Fragmentation and Program Overlap (GAO/AIMD-97-146, Aug. 29, 1997) and GAO/HEHS-95-

4FS.

8

Observations on the Department of Education’s Fiscal Year 2000 Performance Plan

(GAO/HEHS-99-136R, July 31, 1999) and GAO/T-HEHS-99-93.
B-283427

Page 8 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

Native American Employment and Training Program and TANF—a

program designed to help welfare recipients move into the workforce—are

allowed to provide child care for working parents. Two Department of

Agriculture programs, the National School Lunch Program and the Child

and Adult Care Food Program, facilitate education and child care by

subsidizing the cost of serving meals to children in child care centers and

schools. Education administered 34 and HHS administered 13 of the 69

programs.

Twenty-Nine Programs

Provide Education and Care

as a Program Purpose

Within the group of 69 programs, 29 (about 40 percent) provided education

and care as a program purpose and could provide services to children

under age 5 (see fig. 2). TANF also fell into this group because it was a

significant source of funding for child care. However, the extent to which

these 29 programs focused on education and care varied. For example,

Head Start and Special Education−Grants for Infants and Families with

Disabilities focused exclusively on providing education and care for young

children. In contrast, SSBG and the bilingual education programs focused

in a more minor way on these activities or this age group. In the SSBG

program, child care was one of many social services provided; and for the

bilingual education programs, preschool was one of several grade levels

that could be served.
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Page 9 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

Figure 1: Number of Federal Programs That Provide or Support Education and Care

for Children Under Age 5, by Department or Agency

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Appalachian

Regional Commission

General Services

Administration

Justice

Interior

Labor

Housing and Urban

Development

Agriculture

HHS

Education

Programs That Provided Education and Care 

as an Allowable Activity or Facilitated 

Education and Care

Programs That Had Education and Care as a 

Program Purpose

Number of Programs

Department

13

8

5

2 1 1 1

7

6

12

22

34

4
B-283427

Page 10 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

Programs also differed in how services were delivered and how funds

flowed to the programs. For example, under Education’s Indian Education−

Grants to Local Educational Agencies program, grantees provided

educational services directly, whereas CCDF provided vouchers to parents

to purchase child care services. HHS provided funds directly to local Head

Start grantees, whereas Education’s Title I program provided grants

through state education departments to eligible school districts.9 The

districts then decided which preschool programs would be funded from

their Title I allocation.

Three federal departments administered the 29 programs. In fiscal year

1999, five offices in Education administered 22 programs that, for example,

provided educational services to young children and their parents, disabled

children, economically disadvantaged children, and children with limited

English proficiency. Two HHS offices administered six programs: Head

Start, CCDF, TANF, SSBG, and two programs that provided grants for

residential treatment for substance-abusing women and their infants. The

Department of Interior administered one program that provided education

and care and served children under age 5—the Indian Child and Family

Education program.

9

Early Childhood Programs: Characteristics Affect the Availability of School Readiness

Information (GAO/HEHS-00-38, Feb. 28, 2000).
B-283427

Page 11 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

Figure 2: Federal Programs With a Program Purpose of Providing Education and Care That Serve Children Under Age 5, by

Federal Department and Office
B-283427

Page 12 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

Spending on Education

and Care for Children

Under Age 5 Varied

Widely

About half of the programs that provided data on the proportion of budget

authority they spent on education and care for children under age 5 spent a

significant amount, more than 40 percent, for this purpose. The other

programs that provided data spent 13 percent or less on education and care

for children under age 5. Agencies estimated that their programs spent at

least a total of $9 billion to provide education and care to children under

age 5 in fiscal year 1999 (see table 1).10 HHS administered the three

programs that accounted for most of this amount: Head Start ($4.4 billion),

CCDF ($2.2 billion), and TANF ($1.3 billion) together spent approximately

$8 billion of the total $9 billion.

Agencies were able to provide the budget authority data we requested for

21 of the 29 programs. About half of the programs that provided data

estimated that their programs spent 40 percent or more of their fiscal year

1999 budget authority on education and care for children under age 5 (see

table 1). Agency estimates showed, of the 21 programs

• 5 spent at least 90 percent,

• 6 spent between 40 and 70 percent, and

• 10 spent 13 percent or less.

Eight programs could not provide us with the proportion of funding used

for children under age 5, although several of these programs are recognized

as important funding sources for education and care for young children.

These programs include Title I, Even Start−State Educational Agencies, and

Twenty-First Century Community Learning Centers.

Programs spending lesser proportions of their budgets on education and

care for children under age 5 devoted resources to other program activities

or focused resources on another age group. For example, the SSBG

program funded child care and other program activities, such as care for

disabled adults. The bilingual education programs estimated spending

between 1 and 10 percent of their 1999 budget authority on education and

care for children under age 5. Because these programs funded children in

preschool through grade 12, children under age 5 represented only a small

portion of their budgets.

10Eight programs were unable to provide an estimate for the amount spent on program

participants under age 5.
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Page 13 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

Agencies were able to report estimates of the number of participants under

age 5 who were served by 24 of the 29 programs in fiscal year 1999. The

numbers ranged from 102 to over 2 million children. SSBG, Twenty-First

Century Community Learning Centers, and CCDF each reported serving

over 1 million children in this age group. In contrast, six programs reported

serving 500 or fewer children. (See table 2.) However, the number of

children participating in a program is not the same as the number of

children eligible for the program. HHS officials reported that CCDF

provided child care subsidies to only 15 percent of eligible families in 1998.

HHS officials also reported that Head Start served approximately 38

percent of its eligible children nationwide.11

Because program officials used various methods to estimate the number of

participants under age 5 in their programs and, as we discuss later, the

amount and intensity of services provided vary, tables 1 and 2 cannot be

combined to obtain meaningful per-child costs.

Table 1: Federal Spending on Education and Care of Children Under Age 5, Fiscal Year 1999

11See GAO/HEHS-00-11.

Program

FY 1999 budget

authority

Amount for children under age 5

Estimated amount

Percentage of

total budget

authority

Head Start $4,658,151,448 $4,378,662,000 94

CCDF 3,166,000,000 2,216,200,000 70

TANF 17,052,515,000 1,278,938,625 7.5

Special Education−Grants for Infants and Families With

Disabilities 370,000,000 370,000,000 100

Special Education−Grants to States 4,310,700,000 258,642,000 6

SSBG 1,900,000,000 209,000,000 11

Special Education−Preschool Grants (IDEA) 373,985,000 205,692,000 55

Ready-To-Learn Television 11,000,000 11,000,000 100

Indian Child and Family Education (FACE) 5,471,000 5,197,450 95

Child Care Access Means Parents in School 5,000,000 4,750,000 95

Alaska Native Home-Based Education for Preschool Children 10,000,000 4,343,359 43.4

Continued
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Page 14 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

a

Agency officials were unable to estimate the amount spent on children under age 5 on our data

collection instrument.

b

This is a new program. Monies were awarded to the states in August 1999 for elementary school

children in grades K-3. States are now in the process of awarding the first subgrants to schools.

Table 2: Estimated Number of Participants Under Age 5 in Fiscal Year 1999, by Program

Native Hawaiian Family-Based Education Centers 7,200,000 4,000,000 55-60

Demonstration Grants for Residential Treatment for Women and

Their Children 7,880,208 3,152,083 40

Grants for Residential Treatment Programs for Pregnant and

Postpartum Women 2,810,973 1,124,389 40

Bilingual Education−Program Development and Implementation

Grants 10,800,000 1,080,000 10

Bilingual Education−Program Enhancement Grants 10,000,000 1,000,000 10

Bilingual Education−Comprehensive School Grants 90,900,000 909,000 1

Bilingual Education− Systemwide Improvement Grants 42,100,000 421,000 1

Indian Education−Grants to Local Educational Agencies 62,000,000 248,000 0.4

Demonstration Grants for Indian Children 1,265,000 75,900 6

Migrant Education−Basic State Grant Program 354,689 46,110 13

Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies 7,700,000,000 a a

Immigrant Education 150,000,000 a a

Education for Homeless Children and Youth 28,800,000 a a

Even Start−State Educational Agencies 125,250,000 a a

Even Start−Migrant Education 4,050,000 a a

Twenty-First Century Community Learning Centers 200,000,000 a a

Reading Excellence 241,100,000 b b

Even-Start−Indian Tribes and Tribal Organizations 2,025,000 a a

Total $40,549,358,318 $8,954,481,916

Program

FY 1999 budget

authority

Amount for children under age 5

Estimated amount

Percentage of

total budget

authority

Continued from Previous Page

Program Agency

Estimated number

of participants

under age 5a

SSBG HHS 2,320,067b

Twenty-First Century Community Learning Centers Education 1,760,000

Continued
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Page 15 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

a

We did not compute a total because children may have participated in more than one of the programs

listed. For example, a 3-year-old with a disability may have received services under Education’s

Special Education−Preschool Grants as well as under its Special Education−Grants to States program.

b

Agency officials do not collect participation data for children under age 5. The reported estimate

includes all children receiving day care, a high proportion of whom are assumed to be under age 5.

c

This number is based on monthly enrollment.

d

Agency officials were not able to provide an estimate of the number of children under age 5 who

participated in the program in fiscal year 1999.

e

The agency reported that 4,827,540 children ages 3 to 8 participated in the program in fiscal year

1999, but was not able to provide an estimate for the number of children under age 5 who participated

in the program.

CCDF HHS 1,260,000

Head Start HHS 780,200

Special Education−Grants to States Education 574,713

TANF HHS 350,000c

Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies Education 300,000

Special Education−Preschool Grants (IDEA) Education 316,000

Special Education−Grants for Infants and Families With Disabilities Education 186,819

Migrant Education−Basic State Grant Program Education 69,251

Even-Start−State Educational Agencies Education 25,500

Native Hawaiian Family-Based Education Centers Education 2,100

Indian Education−Grants to Local Educational Agencies Education 2,000

Indian Child and Family Education (FACE) Interior 1,800

Bilingual Education−Program Development and Implementation Grants Education 1,000

Bilingual Education−Program Enhancement Grants Education 1,000

Bilingual Education− Systemwide Improvement Grants Education 1,000

Even Start−Migrant Education Education 940

Bilingual Education−Comprehensive School Grants Education 500

Even Start−Indian Tribes and Tribal Organizations Education 240

Demonstration Grants for Residential Treatment for Women and Their Children HHS 235

Demonstration Grants for Indian Children Education 150

Alaska Native Home-Based Education for Preschool Children Education 120

Grants for Residential Treatment Programs for Pregnant and Postpartum Women HHS 102

Child Care Access Means Parents in School Education d

Education for Homeless Children and Youth Education d

Immigrant Education Education d

Reading Excellence Education d

Ready-To-Learn Television Education e

Program Agency

Estimated number

of participants

under age 5a

Continued from Previous Page
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Page 16 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

Programs Target

Particular Groups and

Provide Some of the

Same Types of Services

The 29 programs that provided education and care to children under age 5

targeted three major groups of children. Most programs were allowed to

provide a broad range of services such as health, mental health, and

nutritional services. Four programs provided most of these services to a

large proportion of the participants under age 5.

Programs Targeted Three

Groups

The 29 federal programs that provided education and care to children

under age 5 generally targeted children who

• were economically disadvantaged,

• had special needs, or

• were members of certain native populations.12

During fiscal year 1999, 10 programs (including Head Start, CCDF, and

TANF—the three largest programs in terms of spending for children under

age 5) targeted economically disadvantaged children. Thirteen programs

targeted children with various special needs, such as disabilities or limited

English proficiency, as well as migrant or immigrant children. Six programs

targeted native populations, including Native American Indians, Alaskans,

and Hawaiians (see table 3).

The specific eligibility criteria for the 29 programs included a child’s age,

family income, and other factors. Age criteria varied and often overlapped

among programs serving similar target groups. For example, eligibility for

three Native American programs included children age 0 to 7, 0 to 8, and 4

through 18. Among programs serving disabled children, one targeted

applicants age 0 to 21 while another covered preschoolers age 3 to 5. A

third program provided early intervention services to disabled infants and

toddlers under age 3 and their families or, at state option, infants and

toddlers at risk of needing special education and related services. Likewise,

family income eligibility criteria varied, with the federal government,

states, and school districts defining “low income” differently for different

programs, resulting in overlap of income criteria. For example, income

eligibility criteria for TANF are set by each state, within certain federal

guidelines. However, Title I funds are allocated among states and schools

12Target groups are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
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Page 17 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

based on formulas that take into account the number of children whose

family income is below the federal poverty line.

While programs may serve the same target group, specific eligibility

requirements limit the number of children eligible to receive services. For

example, an economically disadvantaged child may not be eligible for both

CCDF and Head Start—two programs that target this type of child—

because of differences in income eligibility requirements. CCDF provides

child care subsidies for families with children under age 13 whose family

income does not exceed 85 percent of the state median income.13 Head

Start primarily targets preschool children from families whose income is

under the federal poverty line.14 A child could only be eligible for both

programs if that child was of kindergarten age or younger, as required by

Head Start, and if family income was at or below the lower of federal

poverty line or the CCDF income level set by the state.

In some cases, participation in more than one program may be beneficial.

For example, because Head Start is usually a part-day program, working

parents might need both the preschool education of Head Start and the

child care of CCDF to ensure that their children are taken care of for a full

day while the parents are at work.

Table 3: Federal Programs That Provide Education and Care to Children Under Age 5, by Target Group

13States set eligibility rules within this federal guideline. In practice, many states set

eligibility at lower levels.

14Ninety percent of Head Start participants must have family income below the federal

poverty line.

Program Program description Beneficiary eligibility criteria

Economically disadvantaged

CCDF Grants to states for subsidizing the child care

costs of eligible families and to improve the

overall quality and availability of child care

services. Some CCDF funds are subject to

matching requirements.

Children up to age 13 who reside with a family

whose income does not exceed 85% of the state

median income. Parent(s) must be working or in

education or training, or the child must be in need of

protective services. States set eligibility within

federal rules.a

Continued
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Page 18 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

Title I Grants to Local

Educational Agencies

Formula grants through states to local

educational agencies for supplementary

educational and related services to educationally

disadvantaged children living in relatively lowincome areas

Children aged pre-kindergarten to 21 who are failing

or at risk of failing state academic standards who

live in low-income areas

Education for Homeless

Children and Youth

Formula grants to the states to ensure that

homeless children have equal access to the

education programs available to other children,

including preschool-aged children

Homeless children and youth in preschool,

elementary, and secondary schools or who should

be enrolled in school but are not

Even Start−State Educational

Agencies

Formula grants to states for discretionary

subgrants to partnerships between local

educational agencies and nonprofit entities to

improve the educational opportunities of lowincome families through family literacy programs

that integrate early childhood education, adult

basic education, and parenting education

Children aged birth to 8 years, who come from lowincome families, and whose parents have basic

literacy needs

Child Care Access Means

Parents in Schools

Grants to institutions of higher learning to support

the participation of low-income parents in

postsecondary education through the provision of

campus-based child care services

Low-income students in postsecondary programs

who themselves have children and require child care

services

Reading Excellence Grants to states to provide children with the

readiness skills and support they need to learn to

read once they enter school or by the end of third

grade

Children in grades pre-kindergarten through third

grade, who are enrolled in schools with a high

concentration of povertyb

TANF Block grants to states for temporary income

assistance to needy families with children. States

may spend block grants for child care and other

purposes consistent with the law

Families who have a child living with a parent or

other adult relative and are needy, or who meet

CCDF eligibility standards for states that transfer

TANF funds to CCDF

Head Start Grants to agencies to provide comprehensive

early childhood developmental, educational,

health, nutritional, social, and other services to

primarily low-income children and their families

Children from birth through kindergarten age; 90%

must be from families whose income is below the

poverty line or families who are eligible for public

assistance

SSBG Block grants to states to provide social services,

including child day care, at the states’ discretion

States decide which services benefit children and

the criteria for eligibility

Twenty-First Century

Community Learning Centers

Discretionary/competitive grants to individual

rural or inner-city schools, or consortia of such

schools, for activities that benefit the educational,

health, social services, cultural, and recreational

needs of their community

Residents of all ages in selected rural and inner city

communities, in particular, young children

Special needs

Disabled children

Special Education−Grants to

States

Grants to states to assist them in providing a free

appropriate public education to all children with

disabilities

Children, aged 0 through 21, with a disability who

need special education and related services in

public schools

Program Program description Beneficiary eligibility criteria

Continued from Previous Page
B-283427

Page 19 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

Special Education−Preschool

Grants (IDEA)

Grants to assist states in providing special

education and related services to preschool-aged

children with disabilities who are in need of

special education. At state option, children

experiencing developmental delays may also be

considered disabled.

Children aged 3 to 5 who have a disability, and at a

state’s discretion, 2-year-old children with disabilities

who will turn 3 years old during the school year and

need special education and related services

Special Education−Grants for

Infants and Families with

Disabilities

Formula grants to help states develop and

implement a statewide comprehensive,

coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency system

to provide early intervention services for infants

and toddlers with disabilities and their families

Infants or toddlers under 3 years of age with a

disability who need early intervention services

because of developmental delays or at states’

option, at-risk infants and toddlers

Children with limited English

proficiency

Bilingual Education−Program

Development and

Implementation Grants

Grants to local education agencies to implement

new comprehensive bilingual programs

Limited English proficient children who are enrolled

in preschool through grade 12

Bilingual Education−Program

Enhancement Grants

Grants to local education agencies to expand or

enhance existing bilingual programs

Limited English proficient children who are enrolled

in preschool through grade 12

Bilingual Education−

Comprehensive School Grants

Grants to local education agencies (in which

schools have at least 25% limited English

proficiency enrollment) for reforming all relevant

bilingual programs

Limited English proficient children who are enrolled

in preschool through grade 12

Bilingual Education−

Systemwide Improvement

Grants

Grants to local education agencies or local

education agencies’ consortia (with more than

1,000 or 25% limited English proficiency

enrollment) for reforming districtwide bilingual

programs

Limited English proficient children who are enrolled

in preschool through grade 12

Ready-To-Learn Television Grants to develop educational programming for

preschool and early elementary school children

and their families to increase school readiness,

with an emphasis on the needs of children in

limited English proficient households and to

increase family literacy

All children generally and children in limited English

proficient households, their parents, child care

providers, and Head Start programs

Migrants

Migrant Education−Basic State

Grant Program

Grants to the states for providing supplemental

education and related services for migratory

children of migrant agricultural workers and

migrant fishers

Children and youth aged 0 to 21 who are, or whose

parent, spouse, or guardians are, migratory workers

or migratory fishers

Even Start−Migrant Education Discretionary grants to state educational

agencies, local education agencies, and nonprofit

organizations to improve the educational

opportunities of migrant families through family

literacy programs that integrate early childhood

education, adult literacy or adult basic education,

and parenting education

Children of migratory agriculture workers or

migratory fishers and their parents. Children must

be 0 to 8 years old and come from low-income

families; parents must have basic literacy needs

Program Program description Beneficiary eligibility criteria

Continued from Previous Page
B-283427

Page 20 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

Immigrants

Immigrant Education Formula grants to states for educational services

and costs for immigrant children enrolled in

elementary and secondary public and nonpublic

schools. States provide funding to local education

agencies with at least 500 or 3 percent immigrant

enrollment

Immigrant children in grades pre-kindergarten

through 12 who have been enrolled in U.S. schools

for less than 3 years

Substance-abusing women with children

Demonstration Grants for

Residential Treatment for

Women and Their Childrenc

Grants to states for alcohol and other drug abuse

treatment services delivered in a residential

setting coupled with primary health, mental

health, and social services (including child care

and educational development services for

children with exposure to alcohol and other

drugs) for parenting women and their children

Children aged 1 to 10 whose mothers have

substance abuse problems and are enrolled in a

residential treatment program

Grants for Residential

Treatment Programs for

Pregnant and Postpartum

Womenc

Grants to states for alcohol and other drug abuse

treatment services delivered in a residential

setting coupled with primary health, mental

health, and social services (including child care

and developmental services for infants and other

children with intrauterine and environmental

exposure to alcohol and other drugs) for women,

their infants, and other children

Children aged 0 to 1 whose mothers have

substance abuse problems or suffer from substance

abuse problems themselves

Native populations

Native American Indian

Indian Child and Family

Education (FACE)

Grants to Indian tribal governments and tribal

organizations to begin educating Native American

children at an early age through parental

involvement, increase high school graduation

rates among Indian parents, and encourage lifelong learning

Native American parents and their children, aged 0

to 8 years, who live on a reservation within

boundaries of a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)-

funded school

Indian Education−Grants to

Local Educational Agencies

Grants to local education agencies that enroll at

least 10 Indian children or in which Indians

constitute at least 25% of the total enrollment to

reform elementary and secondary school

programs that serve Indian students in order to

ensure that programs are based on standards

that are used for all students

Native American Indian children enrolled in BIAfunded or -operated local educational agencies

Demonstration Grants for

Indian Children

Grants to provide financial assistance to projects

to develop, test, and demonstrate the

effectiveness of services and programs to

improve the educational opportunities and

achievement of preschool, elementary, and

secondary school Indian children

Native American Indian preschool, elementary, and

secondary children

Program Program description Beneficiary eligibility criteria

Continued from Previous Page
B-283427

Page 21 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

a

Although CCDF primarily serves low-income families, states may serve families who earn up to 85

percent of the state median income.

b

According to agency officials, while this program can provide services to pre-kindergartners, the

priority for fiscal year 2000 is kindergarten through grade 3.

c

According to agency officials, no new grants were to be awarded in fiscal year 2000.

Some Programs Provided

Some of the Same Types of

Services

In addition to providing early childhood education and care, most of the 29

programs were allowed to provide a broad range of supplemental services,

including health, dental, mental health, social, parental, and nutritional

services; speech and hearing assessments; and disability screening. Four

programs—Head Start, Even Start−Migrant Education, and the two

residential treatment programs for substance-abusing mothers and their

children—provided the widest range of services, with each providing 9 of

the 10 services we asked about to all or most children participating in the

program. All four reported providing the same seven services to all or most

children under age 5 participating in the program: early childhood

education, health services, speech and hearing assessments, disability

screening, social services, parental services, and nutritional services.

Most programs reported providing supplemental services to a small

proportion of program participants under age 5 or were unable to provide

estimates. For example, the Migrant Education–Basic State Grant Program

estimated that it provided early childhood education, health services, and

services to parents to “some” children; dental and nutritional services to a

Even Start−Indian Tribes and

Tribal Organizations

Discretionary grants to federally recognized

Indian tribes and tribal organizations for family

literacy programs that integrate early childhood

education, adult basic education, and parenting

education

Native American Indian children aged 0 to 8 years

who come from low-income families, and whose

parents have basic literacy needs

Native Hawaiian

Native Hawaiian Family-Based

Education Centers

Grants to Native Hawaiian organizations in Hawaii

for the operation of centers whose activities

include parent-infant programs for the prenatal

period through age 3, preschool programs to

serve 4- to 5-year-olds, research and

development, and project assessments

Hawaiian infants up to age 3 and Hawaiian

preschoolers aged 4 to 5

Alaskan Natives

Alaska Native Home-Based

Education for Preschool

Children

Grants to Alaskan Native organizations or

educational entities to implement home

instruction programs for Alaskan Native preschool

youngsters

Alaskan Native children aged 0 through 5

Program Program description Beneficiary eligibility criteria

Continued from Previous Page
B-283427

Page 22 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

“few” children; and social services to “about half” of the program

participants under age 5. The Twenty-First Century Community Learning

Centers program estimated that it provided early childhood education to

some children and child care, health, dental, social, and mental health

services; speech or hearing assessments; and disability screening to a few

of the program participants under age 5. Two of the four programs targeting

Native American children—Indian Child and Family Education,

administered by Interior, and Even Start–Indian Tribes and Tribal

Organizations, administered by Education—reported providing early

childhood education, parental, and nutritional services to all or most of the

Native American children and their parents participating in their programs

(see table 4). Several programs, including the Special Education–Preschool

Grants, Child Care Access Means Parents in School, and SSBG programs,

were not able to report the number of children under age 5 served for many

of the services about which we asked. (See app. II for the proportion of

each programs’ participants who received each service.)

Table 4: Programs Targeting Native American Children—Proportion of Participating Children Under Age 5 Receiving Services

a

Program was not allowed to provide this service.

Program

Service

Early

childhood

education

Child

care

Health

services

Dental

services

Mental

health

services

Speech and

hearing

assessments

Disability

screening

Social

services

Parental

services

Nutritional

services

Indian Child and

Family Education

(FACE)

All or

nearly all

aa a a All or nearly all All or

nearly all

a All or

nearly all

All or

nearly all

Even-Start−

Indian Tribes and

Tribal

Organizations

All or

nearly all

Most Most Some Some Some Some All or

nearly all

All or

nearly all

All or

nearly all

Indian

Education−

Grants to Local

Educational

Agencies

Few None Few Few Few Few Few Few Few Few

Demonstration

Grants for Indian

Children

Some Some Some Some Few Few Few Few Some Some
B-283427

Page 23 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

Similarly, programs targeting children with limited English proficiency

delivered some of the same types of services to children under age 5

participating in these programs. Four bilingual education programs—

Program Development and Implementation Grants, Program Enhancement

Grants, Comprehensive School Grants, and Systemwide Improvement

Grants—reported providing early childhood education and parental

services to all or most of their participants under age 5. In addition, all four

programs reported providing social services to some participants under age

5. Two of the programs also reported providing child care to some of the

participants in this age group.

Ten programs that targeted economically disadvantaged children provided

some of the same types of services. For example, 7 of the 10 programs

provided parental services and 5 programs provided nutritional services to

all or most children participating in their programs (see app. II). Five of the

10 programs reported providing early childhood education to a high

proportion of participants under age 5. The remaining programs provided

early childhood education and care to a small proportion of participants in

this age group or could not provide an estimate.

Additional Data

Needed to Determine If

Inefficiencies Result

From Overlap

When multiple agencies manage multiple early childhood education and

care programs, mission fragmentation and program overlap occur. Though

sometimes necessary to meet federal priorities, mission fragmentation and

overlapping programs can create an environment in which participants are

not served as efficiently and effectively as possible.15 Policymakers could

choose to coordinate, integrate, or consolidate programs to address

inefficiencies that may arise; however, information beyond the scope of

this report would be needed to identify the degree of program inefficiencies

and the best method for addressing any inefficiencies. Policymakers need

to ask, among other things, whether programs are fulfilling a unique role or

effectively meeting program as well as federal strategic goals. Information

required by GPRA should provide answers to some of these questions and

ultimately help to guide this effort.

Mission fragmentation was evident among the 29 early childhood education

and care programs we examined. These programs were administered by

eight offices in three federal departments. In addition, many of the 29

15Managing for Results: Barriers to Interagency Coordination (GAO/GGD-00-106, Mar. 29,

2000) and GAO/T-HEHS-99-93.
B-283427

Page 24 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

programs provided similar services to the same target groups. Overlap was

evident among programs serving young Native American and limited

English proficient children. For example, all four programs serving Native

American children, administered by Education and Interior, provided

educational, parental, and nutritional services; speech and hearing

assessments; and disability screening to participants, and although each

could serve children of various ages, some participants were under age 5.

Education’s four bilingual education programs all provided early childhood

education, parental services, and social services to young children with

limited English proficiency.

Past GAO work has shown that program overlap increases the likelihood

that inefficiencies such as duplicative programs—those providing identical

services to identical target groups—will result. Duplicative programs can

waste administrative resources and confuse those seeking services.

Program overlap can also increase the chance of gaps in services. One way

service gaps can occur is when all members of a target population are not

being served by existing programs because differing program eligibility

requirements unintentionally exclude them. Gaps in services may also

result when programs do not provide adequate coverage to fully meet

participant needs. For example, children in low-income families may not be

eligible for both Head Start and CCDF, which could make it difficult for

parents to work or attend school full-time. Collaborative arrangements

between Head Start, generally a part-day program, and programs such as

CCDF may be needed to provide full day care in order to prevent service

gaps so parents can work full-time.

To address inefficiencies such as program duplication and service gaps that

can arise from mission fragmentation and program overlap, one of several

approaches could be taken: coordination, integration, or consolidation.

Policymakers could direct responsible agencies to better coordinate

programs with other agencies that share the same program mission.

Responsible agencies could also integrate program services from one

program into others to more effectively serve certain target groups. Service

integration activities range from providing services from several agencies

at one location to creating state and local interagency service planning and

budgeting functions. Policymakers and responsible agencies could also

decide that the only way to eliminate duplicative programs is to consolidate

several into one. However, to determine the most appropriate method of

addressing problems created by mission fragmentation and program

overlap, policymakers would need to consider, among other things,

whether
B-283427

Page 25 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

• overlapping programs fulfill unique roles or are unnecessarily

duplicative,

• some programs are more effective at meeting program and federal

strategic goals than others, and

• whether some other configuration of programs might better serve

participants.

To learn whether specific programs play unique roles or are unnecessarily

duplicative, policymakers would need to know the means used to

accomplish program goals and the specific services the programs provide.

Further study of these program features may highlight important

differences among programs that appear to be duplicative. Data on the type

and quality of services delivered and the number of children receiving

similar services from more than one program would also help to identify

programs that meet unique needs and serve unique populations and would

be useful in determining the extent of duplication among programs. For

example, four programs reported providing dental services to economically

disadvantaged young children in fiscal year 1999; however, one may have

provided screenings whereas another may have provided more

comprehensive dental services including preventive care and treatment.

Assessing whether programs are effective at achieving their program goals

requires information on program performance and program evaluations.

GPRA requires agencies to collect this type of information and report on it

in annual performance plans. Program performance data can be used to

assess progress toward established goals. Evaluation results, where

available, can provide information about how effective programs are at

achieving desired outcomes. With this information, the Congress and the

administration may be able to identify some programs that are more

effective than others at achieving overall federal goals in the early

childhood education and care area. Finally, decisions made about

coordinating, integrating, or consolidating programs could affect

participants differently and have administrative and budgetary effects on

state and local governments, especially if service delivery mechanisms

change.
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Page 26 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

The Congress and agencies have begun to address problems that result

from overlapping early childhood education and care programs through

improved coordination and integration and program consolidation.16 For

example, in 1996, Congress consolidated funding for four child care

programs into one—CCDF. The Congress also created the Federal

Interagency Coordinating Council to focus on issues related to young

children (birth through age 5) who have or are at risk of disabilities.

Agencies have also begun to address problems that result from overlapping

programs. For example, as we reported in March 1999, HHS and Education

are coordinating Head Start and Even Start programs with one another to

improve the quality of family literacy for disadvantaged families with young

children through joint training activities. Moreover, Even Start programs

are required to build on existing services to minimize potential duplication

and sometimes rely on the Head Start program to provide the early

childhood education component for Even Start participants ages 3 and 4. In

addition, HHS’ Head Start Bureau has instituted a number of initiatives

among relevant agencies to facilitate collaboration and thus avoid

inefficiencies that can be caused by mission fragmentation and program

overlap of early childhood education and care programs. For example, HHS

has begun to promote collaboration by requiring some Head Start grantees

to use collaborative planning processes in order to compete for funds. To

compete for Head Start Collaboration Grants, these grantees must provide

full-day, full-year services for Head Start, ensure a collaborative planning

process with community programs and providers, and combine Head Start

funds with available state, local, and private sector funding for child care,

pre-kindergarten, and special education services.

Agency Comments We provided Education, HHS, and Interior an opportunity to review this

report; responses from Education and HHS are reprinted in app. III and IV.

Interior officials stated that they had no comments.

In its comments, Education said that the report provides a comprehensive

overview of federal programs providing education and care for children

under age 5 and that some programs have overlapping purposes and target

populations. HHS said that the report provides a useful conceptual

framework for thinking about the services that are available to young

children and their families. However, while Education agreed that some of

16See GAO/T-HEHS-99-93 and GAO/HEHS-99-136R.
B-283427

Page 27 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

the programs we report on have overlapping purposes, it was concerned

that we be explicit that overlap does not necessarily result in redundancy.

HHS also expressed concerns that the report draws unsupported

conclusions about mission fragmentation and program overlap.

From their comments, it appears that Education and HHS attribute

different meanings to the terms “overlap,” “fragmentation,” and

“duplication.” We defined mission fragmentation as the involvement of

multiple agencies in the same programmatic area; early education and care

programs clearly fall under this definition. We pointed out that

fragmentation can lead to overlapping programs and can create the

potential for inefficiencies such as duplication. We also pointed out that

various programs overlapped because they served the same populations

and offered similar services. However, we did not conclude that overlap

had resulted in duplication and inefficiency, but only that the potential for

duplication and inefficiency exists. We also concluded that the agencies’

GPRA reports might be useful for evaluating the effectiveness of programs

in meeting their goals.

Education and HHS expressed concern that we had not adequately

discussed their coordination efforts, so we added some information about

ongoing agency efforts to address issues raised by overlapping programs

through improved coordination and service integration. Education and

HHS also provided technical comments, which we incorporated where

appropriate.

We are sending copies of this report to the Honorable Donna E. Shalala,

Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services; the Honorable

Richard W. Riley, Secretary of the Department of Education; the Honorable

Bruce Babbitt, Secretary of the Interior; and appropriate congressional

committees. We will also make copies available to others upon request.
B-283427

Page 28 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

If you or your staff have any questions about this report, please contact me

or Karen Whiten on (202) 512-7215. Martha Elbaum and Karen Brown made

key contributions to this report.

Sincerely yours,

Marnie S. Shaul

Associate Director, Education, Workforce, and

Income Security Issues
Page 29 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care
Page 30 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

Appendix I

Federal Programs That Provided or Supported Apendxies

Education and Care for Children Under 5

Years of Age, Fiscal Year 1999 ApendxiI

CFDA numbera Program name

Agriculture

10.550 Food Distribution Program

10.553 School Breakfast Program

10.555 National School Lunch Program

10.556 Special Milk Program for Children

10.558 Child and Adult Care Food Program

10.559 Summer Food Service Program for Children

10.564 Nutrition, Education and Training Program

10.565 Commodity Supplemental Food Program

Housing and Urban Development

14.218 Community Development Block Grants/Entitlement Grants

14.219 Community Development Block Grants/Small Cities Program

14.231 Emergency Shelter Grants Program

14.235 Supportive Housing Program (transitional housing)

14.870 Resident Opportunity and Supportive Services

Interior

15.043 Indian Child and Family Education (FACE)

Justice

16.201 Cuban and Haitian Entrant Resettlement Program

16.730 Reduction and Prevention of Children’s Exposure to Violence (Safe Start)

Labor

17.211 Job Corps

17.247 Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers

17.251 Native American Employment and Training Program

17.255 Workforce Investment Act

Appalachian Regional Commission

23.002 Appalachia−Supplements to Federal Grant-in-Aid (area development)

General Services Administration

39.003 Donation of Federal Surplus Personal Property

Education

84.010 Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies (basic, concentration, and targeted grants)

84.011 Migrant Education−Basic State Grant Program

84.027 Special Education−Grants to States

84.041 Impact Aid

84.060 Indian Education−Grants to Local Educational Agencies

Continued
Appendix I

Federal Programs That Provided or

Supported Education and Care for Children

Under 5 Years of Age, Fiscal Year 1999

Page 31 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

84.162 Immigrant Education

84.173 Special Education−Preschool Grants (IDEA)

84.181 Special Education−Grants for Infants and Families with Disabilities

84.186 Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities—State Grants

84.196 Education for Homeless Children and Youth

84.209 Native Hawaiian Family Based Education Centers

84.213 Even Start−State Educational Agencies

84.214 Even Start−Migrant Education

84.258 Even Start−Indian Tribes and Tribal Organizations

84.276 Goals 2000−State and Local Education Systemic Improvement

84.282 Charter Schools

84.287 Twenty-First Century Community Learning Centers

84.288 Bilingual Education−Program Development and Implementation Grants

84.289 Bilingual Education−Program Enhancement Grants

84.290 Bilingual Education−Comprehensive School Grants

84.291 Bilingual Education−Systemwide Improvement Grants

84.295 Ready-To-Learn Television

84.296 Native Hawaiian Community-Based Education Learning Centers

84.298 Innovative Education Program Strategies

84.299 Demonstration Grants for Indian Children

84.303 Technology Innovation Challenge Grants

84.310 Goals 2000: Parental Assistance Program

84.318 Technology Literacy Challenge Fund Grants

84.321 Alaska Native Home-Based Education for Preschool Children

84.323 Special Education−State Program Improvement Grants for Children With Disabilities

84.327 Special Education−Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities

84.332 Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration

84.335 Child Care Access Means Parents in School

84.338 Reading Excellence

HHS

93.101 Grants for Residential Treatment Programs for Pregnant and Postpartum Women

93.102 Demonstration Grants for Residential Treatment for Women and Their Children

93.125 Mental Health Planning and Demonstration Projects

93.558 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

93.566 Refugee and Entrant Assistance−State-Administered Programs

93.571 Community Services Block Grant Discretionary Awards−Community Food and Nutrition

CFDA numbera Program name

Continued from Previous Page
Appendix I

Federal Programs That Provided or

Supported Education and Care for Children

Under 5 Years of Age, Fiscal Year 1999

Page 32 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

a

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.

93.575 Child Care Development Fund (discretionary fund of the child care development fund, mandatory, and matching

funds)

93.576 Refugee and Entrant Assistance−Discretionary Grants

93.583 Refugee and Entrant Assistance−Wilson/Fish Programs

93.584 Refugee and Entrant Assistance−Targeted Assistance

93.600 Head Start

93.645 Child Welfare Services−State Grants

93.667 Social Services Block Grant

CFDA numbera Program name

Continued from Previous Page
Page 33 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care
Page 34 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

Appendix II

Proportion of Children Receiving Services

From Education and Care Programs, by Target

Group ApendxiI

Agency Program name

Proportion of children under age 5 receiving

Estimated number of

children under age 5

participatinga

Early childhood

education Child care

Health

services

Economically disadvantaged

HHS CCDF 1,260,000 Some All or nearly all Some

Education Title I Grants to Local Educational

Agencies

300,000 All or nearly all Few Some

Education Education for Homeless Children and

Youth

Don't know All or nearly all Don't know Some

Education Even-Start–State Educational Agencies 25,500 All or nearly all Some Some

Education Child Care Access Means Parents in

School

Don't know All or nearly all All or nearly all Don't know

Education Reading Excellence Don't know Don't know Don't know Don't know

HHS TANF 350,000c Don't know Most b

HHS Head Start 780,200 All or nearly all Some All or nearly all

HHS SSBG 2,320,067d Don't know Don't know Don't know

Education Twenty-First Century Community

Learning Centers

1,760,000 Some Few Few

Special needs

Disabled

Children

Education Special Education–Grants to States 574,713 All or nearly all b Don't know

Education Special Education–Preschool Grants

(IDEA)

316,000 All or nearly all b Don't know

Education Special Education–Grants for Infants and

Families With Disabilities

186,819 Most None Some

Children with limited English proficiency

Education Bilingual Education–Program

Development and Implementation Grants

1,000 All or nearly all Some b

Education Bilingual Education–Program

Enhancement Grants

1,000 All or nearly all Some b

Education Bilingual Education–Comprehensive

School Grants

500 All or nearly all b b

Education Bilingual Education–Systemwide

Improvement Grants

1,000 All or nearly all b b

Education Ready-To-Learn Television Don't knowe Most b b
Appendix II

Proportion of Children Receiving Services

From Education and Care Programs, by

Target Group

Page 35 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

Proportion of children under age 5 receiving

Dental

services

Mental health

services

Speech or

hearing

assessments

Disability

screening Social services

Services to

parents

Nutritional

services

Few Few Some Some Some Most All or nearly all

Few Few Some Some Some All or nearly all Some

Some Some Some Some Some Some Some

Few Few Few Some Most All or nearly all All or nearly all

Don't know Don't know Don't know Don't know Don't know All or nearly all Most

Don't know Don't know Don't know Don't know Don't know Don't know Don't know

Don't know Some Some Some Some Most Don't know

All or nearly all All or nearly all All or nearly all All or nearly all All or nearly all All or nearly all All or nearly all

Don't know Don't know Don't know Don't know Don't know Don't know Don't know

Few Few Few Few Few Most Most

b Don't know All or nearly all All or nearly all Don't know Don't know Don't know

b Don't know All or nearly all All or nearly all Don't know Don't know Don't know

None Few Most All or nearly all Some Most Few

bb b b Some All or nearly all b

bb b b Some All or nearly all b

bb b b Some Most b

bb b b Some Most b

bb b b b All or nearly all b
Appendix II

Proportion of Children Receiving Services

From Education and Care Programs, by

Target Group

Page 36 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

Agency Program name

Proportion of children under age 5 receiving

Estimated number of

children under age 5

participatinga

Early childhood

education Child care Health services

Migrants

Education Migrant Education–Basic State

Grant Program

69,251 Some Few Some

Education Even Start–Migrant Education 940 All or nearly all All or nearly all Most

Immigrants

Education Immigrant Education Don't know Don't know Don't know b

Substance-abusing

women with children

HHS Demonstration Grants for

Residential Treatment for

Women and Their Children

235 All or nearly all All or nearly all All or nearly all

HHS Grants for Residential

Treatment Programs for

Pregnant and Postpartum

Women

102 All or nearly all All or nearly all All or nearly all

Native populations

Native American

Indians

Interior Indian Child and Family

Education (FACE)

1,800 All or nearly all b b

Education Indian Education–Grants to

Local Educational Agencies

2,000 Few None Few

Education Demonstration Grants for

Indian Children

150 Some Some Some

Education Even Start–Indian Tribes and

Tribal Children

240 All or nearly all Most Most

Native Hawaiians

Education Native Hawaiian Family-Based

Education Centers

2,100 Most Don't know None

Alaska Natives

Education Alaska Native Home-Based

Education for Preschool

Children

120 All or nearly all Don't know None
Appendix II

Proportion of Children Receiving Services

From Education and Care Programs, by

Target Group

Page 37 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

a

We did not compute a total because children may have participated in more than one of the programs

listed. For example, a 3-year-old with a disability may have received services under Education's

Special Education–Preschool Grants as well as under its Special Education–Grants to States

program.

b

Program was not allowed to provide this service.

c

This number is based on monthly enrollment.

Proportion of children under age 5 receiving

Dental services

Mental health

services

Speech or

hearing

assessments

Disability

screening Social services

Services to

parents

Nutritional

services

Few Few Few Few About half Some Few

All or nearly all Few All or nearly all All or nearly all All or nearly all All or nearly all All or nearly all

b b Don't know Don't know b Don't know b

Some Most Most All or nearly all All or nearly all All or nearly all All or nearly all

Some Most Most All or nearly all All or nearly all All or nearly all All or nearly all

b b All or nearly all All or nearly all b All or nearly all All or nearly all

Few Few Few Few Few Few Few

Some Few Few Few Few Some Some

Some Some Some Some All or nearly all All or nearly all All or nearly all

None Don't know Don't know Don't know Don't know All or nearly all Don't know

None Don't know Some Some Don't know All or nearly all Don't know
Appendix II

Proportion of Children Receiving Services

From Education and Care Programs, by

Target Group

Page 38 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

d

Agency officials do not collect participation data for children under age 5. The reported estimate

includes all children receiving day care, a high proportion of whom are assumed to be under age 5.

e

The agency reported that 4,827,540 children ages 3 to 8 participated in the program in fiscal year

1999, but was not able to provide an estimate for the number of children under 5 that participated in

the program.
Page 39 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

Appendix III

Comments From the Department of

Education ApendxiI
Page 40 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care

Appendix IV

Comments From the Department of Health

and Human Services ApendxiIV
Appendix IV

Comments From the Department of Health

and Human Services

Page 41 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care
Appendix IV

Comments From the Department of Health

and Human Services

Page 42 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care
Appendix IV

Comments From the Department of Health

and Human Services

(104981) Letr Page 43 GAO/HEHS-00-78 Early Education and Care
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