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Military Child Care: DOD Should Communicate More Clearly with Providers in the Fee Assistance Program
GAO-26-107827
Jun 17, 2026
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community & Family Policy directs the Military Services to clearly inform child care providers that are placed on probation, suspended, or terminated from the fee assistance program about the option they have to request additional information about the decision or an additional review. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Drug-Free Communities Support Program: Actions Needed to Enhance Performance Data and Oversight
GAO-26-106949
Jun 16, 2026
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6 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Office of National Drug Control Policy The Director of ONDCP, in consultation with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [or another federal statistical agency], should develop a strategy to identify relevant data to help better understand the DFC program's impact. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Office of National Drug Control Policy The Director of ONDCP, in consultation with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [or another federal statistical agency], should explore ways to standardize its data collection methodology for its four core measures to help improve the quality of program performance data submitted to the DFC program. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Office of National Drug Control Policy The Director of ONDCP should ensure that its annual evaluation reports of the DFC program include complete documentation of the methodology used to develop the report's findings and conclusions. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Office of National Drug Control Policy The Director of ONDCP should establish clearly defined performance goals and measures for the DFC program's strategic goal of collaboration among communities to prevent and reduce substance use among youth. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Office of National Drug Control Policy The Director of ONDCP should establish and implement enforcement procedures for DFC coalitions that do not maintain all 12 sectors in accordance with statutory requirements, and work with the coalitions to reestablish these sectors in a timely manner. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Office of National Drug Control Policy The Director of ONDCP should provide Congress with information on the carryover balance available for the DFC program's administrative expenses—including how any carryover funds are expected to be expended on current or future projects and activities. (Recommendation 6)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Pregnancy and Early Childhood: Performance Management Process Needed for Three Programs
GAO-26-107572
May 05, 2026
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3 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of Health and Human Services should establish a performance management process at the federal level for the Preschool Development Grants Birth Through Five Program. (Recommendation 1)
Open
HHS disagreed with this recommendation, stating that it already has a performance management system that monitors state progress toward state-defined goals for their early childhood systems. HHS officials said the agency collects and monitors data from grant recipients (e.g., states) to assess progress on state goals that are aligned with the program's implementing statute. The agency collects information from states on their specific goals in its Annual Performance Progress Report on their efforts to strengthen the early childhood care and education workforce. We acknowledge the value of monitoring state progress toward state-level goals. However, a federal-level performance management process is also important to assess national progress toward performance goals across state activities. A federal-level performance goal could relate to the various efforts that HHS already asks about in its Annual Performance Progress Report, such as ensuring that a certain number of states meet their goals. We will consider closing this recommendation when HHS develops performance goals and establishes a performance management process at the federal level.
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should establish a performance management process at the federal level for the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program. (Recommendation 2)
Open
USDA neither agreed nor disagreed with this recommendation. USDA officials stated that the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program does not have a performance goal-the first step of a performance management process-because it does not have dedicated funding for this purpose. Officials stated that the program collects performance information and uses it to assess results-the second and third steps of a performance management process-by conducting management evaluations of the state agencies that implement the program and by collecting performance information through state plans and state agency reports. This information allows USDA to determine that state agencies are compliance with program requirements and that federal funds are being used appropriately, and to identify areas for improvement. However, we believe that without set performance goals to guide such evaluations, the management evaluations cannot fulfill the second and third steps of a performance management process. Officials noted that participation rates-which the larger WIC program uses as a performance goal-are not an appropriate performance goal because they vary widely across state agencies. However, there are other possible federal-level performance goals that could be appropriate, such as a goal related to any outcome measures that the program is already evaluating at the state level. We maintain that the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program should develop performance goals and establish a performance management process at the federal level. We will monitor the agency's efforts in this area.
Department of Veterans Affairs The Secretary of Veterans Affairs should complete the process of establishing a performance management process at the federal level for the VHA Maternity Care Coordinator Program. (Recommendation 3)
Open
VA agreed with this recommendation. The agency anticipates completing a federal-level performance management process for the VHA Maternity Care Coordinator Program by October 2026. We will monitor the progress of these efforts.

Child Welfare: HHS Should Clarify Guidance on State Spending for Congregate Care
GAO-26-107592
Mar 03, 2026
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of Health and Human Services should direct the Administration for Children and Families to clarify its guidance on the appropriate use of Title IV-E funds for youth in facilities designated as settings "providing high-quality residential care and supportive services to children and youth who have been found to be, or are at risk of becoming, sex trafficking victims." (Recommendation 1)
Open
HHS disagreed with this recommendation, stating that it would require the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to issue additional guidance and would restrict states' ability to define settings and determine placement direction. HHS acknowledged that additional guidance would be useful and proposed collaborating with other HHS agencies in this area. However, we believe these actions, while useful, would not address this recommendation. ACF should provide clarification to states on claiming Title IV-E beyond 14 days for youth placed in facilities serving youth who have been found to be, or are at risk of becoming, sex trafficking victims. We do not believe that providing such clarification would require ACF to develop new guidance nor that clarifying its guidance would restrict states' placement flexibilities. States interpret ACF's guidance about requirements for claiming Title IV-E funds for youth placed in these facilities differently. As such, some states are not claiming Title IV-E funds for which they may be eligible. ACF could address this issue through communication with states that is less formal than new guidance, such as an email or Dear Colleague letter to state child welfare agencies. We will monitor any further efforts by the agency.
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