Review of Head Start Health and Safety Standards at Coastal Plain Area Economic Opportunity Authority, Inc.

Coastal Plain Area Economic Opportunity Authority, Inc. (the Grantee), located in Georgia, generally complied with Federal and State Head Start regulations on ensuring the health and safety of children in its care. However, as of August 2009, 10 of the Grantee's 12 childcare facilities that we reviewed did not adequately protect children from unsafe materials and equipment. The Grantee's failure to consistently comply with Head Start regulations jeopardized the health and safety of children in its care.

We recommended that the Grantee consistently follow its existing procedures to ensure that all necessary repairs are addressed in a timely manner and that all unsafe materials and equipment are stored in locked areas out of the reach of children. In response, the Grantee described its actions to address the deficiencies that we identified.