Opportunities Exist to Better Align Resources with Child Poverty.

The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report on the distribution of resources in the Head Start program, which aims to promote school readiness for children in poverty. The report found that Head Start availability varies widely across states and counties and does not closely align with child poverty rates. The funding formula for Head Start is not responsive to changes in child poverty, resulting in lower proportions of income-eligible children being served in states with rising child poverty. The report recommends that Congress review and revise the funding provisions to better align resources with need and that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) use its existing authority to consider the distribution of Head Start services when awarding grants. [Extracted from the article]