Editorial: Bailing out Head Start

Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2006 | 12:30 p.m.

The federal government has yanked control of the Las Vegas Valley's Head Start program away from the nonprofit Economic Opportunity Board, citing reports that hundreds of children were not receiving proper dental and medical care.

According to a story in Tuesday's Las Vegas Sun, a Colorado agency will temporarily manage the $12.6 million program that operates 15 Head Start centers across the valley.

The program helps poor families obtain education, health care and child care for their children up to age 5. It is funded by the Health and Human Services Department through its Administration for Children and Families office.

The "summary suspension" issued Monday is a rare occurrence, as only three of the nation's 1,600 programs have received them, a federal official told Sun reporter Timothy Pratt. "We very strongly feel that the health and safety of children is at risk," the official said.

A federal review of the EOB's Head Start program in January showed deficiencies ranging from children's health records and medical plans not being updated - or even in existence - to staff members not knowing about potentially fatal allergies. In one case, staff failed to keep track of an asthmatic child who needed an inhaler.

The EOB's Head Start operations have been under federal scrutiny since a 2002 audit revealed missing grants and inexplicable financial deficits in addition to inadequate medical and dental care for the children.

Federal officials in January 2005 decided to strip the EOB of its Head Start funding. But the EOB filed an appeal, which prevented further action. The process doesn't typically allow funding to be withdrawn while a case is on appeal. Still, in rare circumstances, the government can bring in another company to manage a program until an appeal concludes. The EOB expects a decision Feb. 21.

We are glad federal officials have acted in the best interests of the more than 1,800 Las Vegas Valley preschoolers who are enrolled in Head Start by temporarily placing this troubled program under the care of what we hope is a better management group.