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Of the 24 grantees audited, three have since had Head Start dollars revoked and the others corrected the deficiencies, the Administration for Families and Children said. It also said it is reviewing the suggested policy changes.
Ensuring quality in Head Start programs has been an ongoing issue. Last month at a stop in Yeadon, Pa., President Barack Obama called Head Start "an outstanding program and a critical investment," but he said more accountability was needed. Under new rules that he announced, lower-performing Head Start programs will have to compete for funding if they have deficiencies discovered in their onsite review or don't meet other standards.
In most cases, the centers said in letters included in the audits that they had taken action to fix the problems found.
In Waterbury, Conn., a machete was found unattended along with a gas-powered hedge trimmer near a children's play area at a facility operated by the nonprofit New Opportunities Inc. Policies have been changed so that work crews do routine maintenance in the evenings and weekends when children are not present, Toni Hirst, the chief administrative officer, said in a phone interview. She said children were never in close proximity to the machete and hedge trimmer. She said the look at the center by the outside reviewers was helpful.
"By no means would we do anything that would lead a child to harm," Hirst said.
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Online:
Link to the 24 audits of Head Start grantees:
http://bit.ly/tLJycZ
HHS' Office of Inspector General:
http://oig.hhs.gov/
Administration for Families and Children:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/
[Associated
Press;
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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