Gov't Says Head Start Made Millions in Improper Payments

CNS reports:

A House Appropriations subcommittee has proposed $7.1 billion in funding for the Head Start program for Fiscal Year 2009, even though the program has made over $400 million in improper payments since 2005, according to government audits.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies released a budget markup last Thursday that provides $7.1 billion for Head Start, $93 million more than President Bush's request.

But according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Head Start program, under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has made millions of dollars in improper payments over the past few years.