The General Accounting Office evaluated federal programs that serve at-risk and delinquent youth. The work, which took place over several years, focused on: (1) who administers such programs; (2) how much money is spent on federal programs for at-risk youth; and (3) what is known about their effectiveness. Overall, its is apparent that multiple federal departments and agencies spend millions of dollars funding a wide variety of programs serving at-risk and delinquent youth. Fifteen federal departments and agencies operated 127 such programs in September 1997. About 77% of these were administered by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Justice, Labor, and Education. Many of the programs are potentially duplicative, providing services that appear to overlap those of other programs in the same agency or other agencies, and many provide multiple services. This system has created the potential for inefficient service. In addition, there is a major gap for federal decisionmakers, who need to know what existing programs are accomplishing individually and in combination. The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 can move the agencies that run these programs toward a more integrated approach and brings with it a greater emphasis on accountability and the assessment of program results. Frequently, however, strategic plans are not specific enough to allow the determination of whether an integrated approach is operating. Agencies need to focus their efforts to coordinate with one another at the target group level. Appendixes present a table of agency and program funding and a glossary of definitions of program services. (Contains one table and four figures.) (SLD)