Recommendations Tracker

We recommend that the New York State Office of Children and Family Services refund $24,662,410 in unallowable childcare subsidies claimed for Federal reimbursement.

We recommend that the Next Door Foundation, Inc. refund $142,104 in unallowable indirect costs and work with its HHS funding agencies to ensure proper claiming of indirect costs.

We recommend that the Next Door Foundation, Inc. ensure that cost transfers meet applicable criteria and are fully documented.

We recommend that the Vermont Office of Child Support refund $48,891 ($32,268 Federal share) for Title IV-D MPRs, which were reimbursed at the incorrect county rate.

We recommend the State agency work with ACF to determine what portion of the $1,374,320 ($907,051) for unsupported salaries allocated represents Title IV-D eligible costs or refund the entire amount.

We recommend the State agency refund $180,288 ($118,990 Federal share) for duplicate Title IV-D MPRs.

ORR should identify and disseminate evidence-based approaches to addressing trauma in short-term therapy.

ORR should assess whether to establish maximum caseloads for individual mental health clinicians.

ORR should increase therapeutic placement options for children who require more intensive mental health treatment.

We recommend that the Administration for Children and Families continue to monitor the States’ actions and progress toward implementation of the new background check requirements.

We recommend that ACF revise its policies and procedures to improve the information that it has to oversee the Tribal grantees. Specifically, we recommend that ACF enhance its policies and procedures to ensure that it can determine whether Tribal grantees: ensure that obligated grant funds are used to provide energy assistance to eligible beneficiaries (rather than being held as credit balances at energy suppliers) and that these funds can be traced to the year of obligation; maintain adequate supporting documentation for LIHEAP obligations and track and verify that prepayments made to energy suppliers are then used to provide services to eligible households; and ensure that energy suppliers return to the Tribes all unused grant funds prior to the end of each FY, thereby enabling the Tribes to re-obligate those funds for allowable LIHEAP purposes within the grant period.

We recommend that ACF educate Tribal grantees on ways to use grant funds to provide the maximum available benefits to eligible households and for other purposes of the program, such as crisis situations, residential weatherization, and energy-related home repairs.

We recommend that ACF review all FFRs, Carryover Reports, and Household Reports to ensure that the reports are complete, are submitted in a timely manner, and are properly supported.

We recommend that Southwest Key review facilities' video monitoring and identify potential areas for improvement and work with ORR, if needed, to obtain the necessary video monitoring equipment.

We recommend Southwest Key inspect facilities to ensure that all hazardous materials are maintained in a secure location, and educate staff on the importance of keeping hazardous materials secured.

We recommend that Southwest Key comply with ORR staffing ratios to ensure that children receive the necessary case manager and clinician services.

We recommend that Southwest Key ensure that all facilities with gas appliances have carbon monoxide detectors installed.

We recommend that Southwest Key strengthen procedures to ensure severe weather drills are conducted in Texas, develop and enact a plan to for conducting disaster drills at facilities in California and Arizona, and monitor these requirements on a regular basis to ensure compliance with State laws.

We recommend Southwest Key develop policies and procedures to ensure consistency in the data used to compile the Annual Performance Report, and strengthen quality control procedures to ensure that the data in the UAC Portal and the effort-to-outcomes system is accurate and matches.

We recommend Southwest Key ensure that all required SORC are conducted nationally through the DOJ NSOPW when screening sponsors, adult household members, and adult caregivers.

We recommend Southwest Key maintain documentation to support that discharge notifications were emailed to DHS and other stakeholders.

We recommend Southwest Key ensure that out-of-State CPS checks are completed for employees in Arizona who resided in State(s) outside of Arizona in the past 5 years, because these checks are not conducted by the State of Arizona and should not be covered under the waiver.

We recommend Southwest Key review current staff and complete CPS checks for those staff that lived outside of their current State of residence in the past 5 years, and develop policies and procedures to ensure CPS checks are conducted for potential employees in State(s) of residence for the past 5 years.

ACF should evaluate whether States are ensuring equal access for CCDF families, as required.

ACF should establish a forum for States to share strategies regarding how they set payment rates to ensure equal access for eligible families while balancing competing program priorities.

We recommend that CDSS refund the overpayment of $350 to the Federal Government.

We recommend that DCF refund $114,504 to the Federal Government.

We recommend that DCF revise current policy to ensure the recovery of overpayments.

We recommend that Children’s Village take corrective action to ensure that its facility is free from potentially harmful conditions.

We recommend that Children’s Village ensure that all medical exams and educational assessments are documented and performed as required by ORR.

We recommend that Children’s Village refund to the Federal Government $2,623,785 in unallowable grant expenditures.

We recommend that Children’s Village ensure that costs are properly approved, allocated, and adequately supported.

We recommended that Lincoln Hall adhere to ORR and State requirements for monthly fire drills, video monitoring systems in common areas, and employee training, background investigations, health screenings, and employment qualification.

We recommended that Lincoln Hall provide documentation to support the $29,807,160 of program costs or refund the Federal Government.

We recommend that Lincoln Hall increase oversight of its reviewing process for UAC case files to ensure that all required documentation is maintained in the file.

We recommend that Pathways correct all instances of noncompliance that we observed.

We recommend that Pathways strengthen its systems of health and safety practices and management by developing and providing ongoing safety training to staff that has regular contact with children in all State and Federal health and safety requirement related to building and physical premises safety that includes identification of and protection from hazards.

We recommend that Pathways utilize the output from a reliable system to ensure all its employees complete background checks in the timing and frequency required by Federal regulations and State licensing standards.

We recommend that Pathways follow up during a child’s enrollment process with the physician’s office when evidence demonstrates that the child had not received an age appropriate lead screening and, if necessary, help parents schedule age-appropriate lead screening for their child.

We recommend that BCFS HHS install video monitoring equipment in the intake common area of the shelter to help ensure oversight of UAC during the intake process.

We recommend that BCFS HHS develop procedures to ensure that staff are aware of the requirements for the contents of first aid kits and periodically check the kits to ensure compliance with Texas minimum standards.

We recommend that BCFS HHS strengthen its oversight of foster care homes to ensure foster parents are aware of, and are complying with, Texas DFPS Minimum Standards for Child-Placing Agencies Condensed Version for Foster Parents for health and safety.

We recommend that BCFS HHS strengthen existing procedures to ensure all initial intakes assessments, initial medical exams, and UAC assessments are completed in a timely manner; that adequate documentation is maintained; and that the completed dates for the UAC assessment are captured in the case file.

We recommend that BCFS HHS implement quality control procedures to ensure the discharge information in the case file matches the data entered into the ORR UAC Portal.

We recommend that BCFS HHS ensure that reunification information reported to ORR is accurate and can be supported.

We recommend that Crittenton refund to the Federal Government $342,263 for unallowable expenditures claimed.

We recommend that Crittenton strengthen its oversight, through additional supervisory review, of expenditures charged to grant awards to ensure that they are claimed in accordance with Federal requirements.

We recommend that Crittenton work with ORR to determine what portion of the $3,251,090 claimed was unallowable and refund to the Federal Government the unallowable amount.

We recommend Heartland adhere to classroom staffing-to-child ratios in accordance with State regulations.

We recommend Heartland refund $768,460 to Office of Refugee Resettlement for unallowable rental costs ($665,333) and associated indirect costs ($103,127) incurred under the less-than-arm’s-length lease agreements and limit future rental costs under less-than-arm’s-length lease agreements to the amount that would be allowed under Federal regulations.

ACF should develop a comprehensive strategy to improve States’ compliance with requirements related to treatment planning and medication monitoring for psychotropic medication.

We recommend that the Fort Peck Tribes refund to the Federal Government $436,765 for grant funds that remained unobligated after the 2-year grant period.

We recommend that the Fort Peck Tribes develop and implement controls to verify that all applicants for LIHEAP assistance report all royalty income in their applications.

We recommend that the Fort Peck Tribes develop and implement policies and procedures to ensure that FFRs, Carryover Reports, and Household Reports are properly completed and timely submitted to ACF.

We recommend that ACF follow its policies and procedures to ensure that management decisions are issued within the required 6-month resolution period,

We recommend that ACF follow its recently implemented procedures by reconciling each month the OIG stewardship reports with ACF’s internal audit tracking and monitoring system and following up on any differences noted.

We recommend that the State agency ensure that the health and safety issues noted in this report are corrected.

We recommend that the State agency seek a change to State law to allow private school providers to access the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment or take other steps to ensure that required background checks are completed.