Head Start: Opportunities Exist to Better Align Resources with Child Poverty
Fast Facts
Head Start programs served nearly 790,000 young children in 2021-2022, but the number of low-income children eligible for services far exceeds that number.
We found that Head Start availability varies widely by state and county and doesn't closely align with child poverty. Almost all Head Start funding is allocated according to a congressionally mandated formula that doesn't account for changes in state population or poverty rates. As a result, Head Start has less flexibility to shift funding to areas most in need.
We recommended that Congress consider revising how Head Start funding is allocated to address this issue, among other things.
Highlights
What GAO Found
Administered by the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of Head Start (OHS), Head Start aims to promote school readiness for young children in poverty. However, Head Start availability varies widely across states and counties and does not closely align with child poverty. GAO found that the number of Head Start seats for every 100 young children in poverty ranged from nine in Nevada to 53 in Oregon in 2022. This high degree of variability persisted even when accounting for state and county child poverty rates. Further, the Head Start statutory formula, by which annual funding is provided to grant recipients, is not responsive to changes in child poverty. As a result, grant recipients in states with rising child poverty can generally serve a lower proportion of income-eligible children.
Head Start Seats Available for Every 100 Young Children in Poverty, Fall 2022
Current statutory provisions do not support the alignment of Head Start resources with need. These provisions include the annual funding formula and those governing the distribution of expansion funding, which Congress periodically provides to expand Head Start's reach. GAO found that provisions intended to target additional expansion funding to states with relatively low access to Head Start services, if applied today, would result in nearly all states qualifying to receive this funding. Federal grants may be designed in a variety of ways, depending on the purpose Congress wishes to achieve. Congress has an opportunity to review these provisions to ensure Head Start resources are directed toward its highest priorities.
Within the existing statutory provisions, OHS has authority to consider the distribution of Head Start services when competitive grant funding is available to award. However, OHS rarely uses this authority. Doing so—and leveraging agency data to inform its grantmaking decisions—would help OHS better achieve its goal of targeting services to places most in need.
Why GAO Did This Study
In 2021–2022, Head Start served nearly 790,000 young children, primarily from low-income families. However, 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 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) 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.
Recommendations
GAO is recommending two matters for congressional consideration to review and revise, as appropriate, annual Head Start funding and expansion funding provisions. GAO is also making two recommendations to HHS to use its existing authority to consider Head Start resource distribution across communities in its competitive grant awards and use the data it already collects to inform those decisions. HHS agreed with the recommendations.
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Congress should consider reviewing and revising, as appropriate, statutory provisions governing how annual Head Start funding is allocated to assure that they align with congressional priorities and goals for Head Start. (Matter for Consideration 1) | We will monitor congressional action on this matter. | |
| Congress should consider reviewing and revising, as appropriate, statutory provisions governing the allocation of Head Start and Early Head Start expansion funding to assure that they align with congressional priorities. For example, Congress could clarify the provision governing which states should receive a higher proportion of Head Start expansion funding and the provision governing how Early Head Start expansion funds should be allocated to achieve an "equitable national geographic distribution" of grants, as indicated in law. (Matter for Consideration 2) | We will monitor congressional action on this matter. |
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Health and Human Services | 1. The Secretary of Health and Human Services should direct OHS to use its existing grant-making authority to consider the geographic distribution of Head Start resources across communities when awarding competitive grants. (Recommendation 1) |
HHS agreed with this recommendation. OHS said it would explore methods to include geographic distribution of existing Head Start services and available measures of need to be considered in the grant award process, within the constraints of its statutory authority. For example, due to statutory provisions governing the distribution of Head Start funds, the agency's authority to distribute funds and award grants is limited by the amount of funding available and the need to ensure that grants stay within the service area and maintain stable funding within states. We will monitor the progress of OHS's efforts to address this recommendation.
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| Department of Health and Human Services | 2. The Secretary of Health and Human Services should direct OHS to use the data it already collects to assess relative rates of access to Head Start services and to help identify areas where additional services may be needed. (Recommendation 2) |
HHS agreed with this recommendation. OHS said it would explore methods to use data it already collects to help identify areas where additional services may be needed. OSH noted it is committed to using data it already collects to identify communities and geographical areas where additional services may be warranted. This includes data on the geographic location of existing Head Start service locations and the number of Head Start and Early Head Start funded slots at these locations. We will monitor the progress of these efforts.
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