The Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Program Helps Families but Needs Improvement

Highlights

GAO reviewed the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Counseling and Information Program, the performance of selected program grantees and contractors, the extent of voluntary groups' participation in the grantees' project activities, program administration, and procedures for awarding and managing grants and contracts. Since 1975, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has provided assistance to families who have suffered a sudden infant death. Grants are awarded to public and nonprofit private entities. GAO reviewed case files and interviewed family members. Lack of sufficient data and a lack of HHS performance standards prevented a full evaluation of the project's effectiveness.

Recommendations

Matter for Congressional Consideration

Matter	Status	Comments
Congress should consolidate the SIDS Information and Counseling Program and the Maternal and Child Health program authorized under title V of the Social Security Act.	Closed	Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected	Recommendation	Status
Department of Health and Human Services	The Secretary of HHS should assure that the SIDS Program Office is appropriately staffed on a continuing basis to permit it to periodically evaluate grantees' performance and compliance with program requirements.	Closed Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
Department of Health and Human Services	The Secretary of HHS should issue guidelines on projects' appropriate use of community groups, including volunteers. The guidelines should include a clear statement of (1) the types of activities appropriate for community groups; (2) the circumstances under which the groups can be used; and (3) projects' responsibilities for ensuring appropriate use of the groups.	Closed Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
Department of Health and Human Services	The Secretary of HHS should issue additional guidance to projects concerning case management and epidemiological data they are to collect and submit, periodically evaluate these data, and ensure that only data which are needed and used are collected.	Closed Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
Department of Health and Human Services	The Secretary of HHS should enforce requirements that grantees promptly report to HHS when they will not be spending all of the funds they were awarded and assure that future grant awards are offset with unexpended fund balances.	Closed Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
Department of Health and Human Services	The Secretary of HHS should issue instructions--such as those applicable to the SIDS grant program--which prohibit panels reviewing contract technical proposals from including persons who might have reason to be biased, or might have the appearance of being biased, against any competitor.	Closed Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
Department of Health and Human Services	The Secretary of HHS should develop standards for measuring SIDS projects' performance and evaluate project performance against those standards.	Closed Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
Department of Health and Human Services	The Secretary of HHS should assure that the scope of work statement in each contract provides adequate specificity regarding HHS' requirements and expectations.	Closed Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
Department of Health and Human Services	The Secretary of HHS should establish criteria for funding SIDS grantees, considering such factors as the number of SIDS cases in their service areas and the need for Federal funding in those areas.	Closed Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
Department of Health and Human Services	The Secretary of HHS should issue additional guidance on the content of the narrative section of SIDS grant applications and require grant applicants to submit specific, measurable objectives for those aspects of operations critical to an effective program. HHS should also issue guidance to applicants on the types of objectives appropriate for new and continuing projects and assure that projects evaluate their own performance as required.	Closed Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.

See All 9 Recommendations

Full Report

(144 pages)

Media Inquiries

Sarah Kaczmarek

Managing Director

Office of Public Affairs

media@gao.gov

Public Inquiries

Topics

Employment

ContractorsDisease detection or diagnosisFederal grantsHealth care servicesHealth services administrationInfantsMedical researchProgram managementVolunteer servicesInfant mortalitySyndromes