Early Years Column

Overlapping and fragmented federal early-childhood programs leave many children unserved and fail to provide a consistent and comprehensive level of care, a report suggests.

The U.S. General Accounting Office reports that in fiscal 1992 and 1993 the federal government provided money for more than 90 early-childhood programs in 11 agencies and 20 offices.

The 34 programs providing child care or early education as their main missions spent at least $3.6 billion and served at least two million children in fiscal...