HHS Proposes Survey of Head Start Salaries - November 17, 2003 Vol.4 No.23

November 17, 2003 Vol.4 No.23:

Published: 11/17/2003

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HHS Proposes Survey of Head Start Salaries

On Nov. 13, the Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a request for comments in the Federal Register stating their intention to survey all 2,700 Head Start grantees in the country about salaries and benefits of their employees. The survey is in response to a request from members of the House Education and Workforce Committee, which asked for a “review of the financial management of Head Start grantees nationwide.”

In order to identify the top 25 salaries and benefits of Head Start Executives, HHS is proposing to mail a survey to all programs. They estimate it will take each agency 9 hours to complete the survey, including retrieving information from each grantees’ IRS Form 990, SF 424 (application) and PIR data. The total estimated time drain on Head Start programs is 24,300 hours nationwide.

HHS has asked the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the survey under emergency powers, within 30 days. No justification is offered to explain why this is an emergency. The real “emergency” may be that the President’s proposed restructuring of Head Start has met with stiff opposition from the Head Start community. Earlier this year HHS threatened grantees with sanctions for lobbying against the proposal, even with private funds. The National Head Start Association sued, and was successful in forcing HHS to send a corrected letter. For details see the July 14 OMB Watcher.

The announcement did not include the survey form or other supporting documentation. OMB Watch has requested copies and will update this information when we receive it. The information can be requested by sending an email to rsargis@af.hhs.gov, or by calling Robert Sargis at OMB at 202/690-7275. Comments are due by Dec. 8.