Recommendations Tracker

We recommend that Crittenton ensure that all required background checks are conducted and documented.

We recommend that Crittenton increase oversight of its quality review for UAC case files to ensure that all required documentation is maintained in the files.

We recommend that Crittenton develop a process to document the information used to prepare its quarterly performance reports and verify the information’s accuracy.

We recommend that the State agency ensure that the appropriate internal controls are in place for maintaining the required documentation in the case files to substantiate that children in foster care are receiving the necessary services.

We recommend that the State agency improve controls to ensure that critical incidents involving children in foster care residing in group homes are reported timely to the county agencies.

We recommend that the State agency ensure that all instances of noncompliance that we identified are documented and corrected.

We recommend that the State agency ensure that regional licensors perform and document a site inspection during each health and safety visit at a group care facility.

We recommend that the State agency provide regional licensors and group care facilities with adequate guidance and supervision regarding background check requirements to ensure that employees with uncleared, pending, or incomplete background checks do not have unsupervised access to children.

We recommend that the State agency consider requiring FBI fingerprint-based background checks for all group care facility employees, seeking additional legislative authority as needed.

We recommend that BCFS HHS refund $658,248 to ORR for unallowable rental costs 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 45 CFR part 75.465(c).

We recommend that the State agency follow its policies and procedures to ensure that Title IV-E eligible children in foster care receive required health care services and that the visits are documented in the children’s case files.

We recommend that ACF review its staffing levels and determine whether resources are aligned efficiently, and adjust as needed, to ensure that the audit resolution process is conducted in accordance with Federal requirements, including the requirement to issue management decisions to grantees within 6 months

We recommend that ACF include in the letters sent to Head Start grantees specific dates for correcting deficiencies noted in the audit reports when corrective actions have not been completed.

We recommend that ACF review its staffing levels and determine whether resources are aligned efficiently, and adjust as needed, to ensure that management decisions are issued to Head Start grantees within the required 6-month timeframe.

We recommend that ACF ensure that management decisions are issued to AIAN Head Start grantees within the 6-month timeframe.

We recommend that ACF strengthen its policies and procedures to include monitoring of AIAN Head Start grantees and conducting site visits, when feasible, to ensure that grantees actually implement corrective actions to resolve audit findings.

We recommend that the State agency work with the State licensing agency to ensure all instances of noncompliance are corrected.

We recommend that the State agency increase the frequency of announced visits and consider including unannounced visits as part of its monitoring system.

We recommend that His House develop a policy for maintaining UAC case file documentation that would ensure ORR policies and procedures were followed when releasing a child to a sponsor.

We recommend that His House update or develop policies and procedures pertaining to maintaining adequate documentation to support its drawdowns of Federal funds and to support that its drawdowns are based on actual expenditures.

We recommend that His House update or develop policies and procedures pertaining to recording financial transactions accurately and timely.

We recommend that Pine Bluff work with OHS to determine and refund the amount of grant funds for which Pine Bluff would not have been eligible because of the $270,985 shortfall in non-Federal share contributions.

We recommend that Pine Bluff refund to the Federal Government payments made for services totaling $214,372.

We recommend that Pine Bluff refund to the Federal Government payments made for unnecessary equipment purchases totaling $35,405.

We recommend that Pine Bluff refund to the Federal Government payments made to non-Head Start employees for salaries totaling $18,816.

We recommend that Pine Bluff refund to the Federal Government $6,670 in payments made for unnecessary storage.

We recommend that Pine Bluff refund to the Federal Government payments totaling $4,280 that were incorrectly allocated to Head Start.

We recommend that Pine Bluff improve inventory controls by (1) maintaining complete and accurate inventory records and (2) following proper sales procedures or obtaining the highest possible return when disposing or selling of inventory

We recommend that Pine Bluff complete bank reconciliations in a timely manner and adhere to its policies and procedures of having monthly oversight of bank reconciliations performed.

We recommend that Pine Bluff implement systems and adequate policies and procedures to properly identify and report administrative costs.

We recommend that the State agency refund to the Federal Government the estimated $19,076,167 Federal CCDF share of the Child Care Subsidy Program claims paid during SFYs 2014 and 2015.

We recommend that the State agency develop policies and procedures to ensure that it obtains attendance records from providers that are no longer in business.

We recommend that the State agency develop controls to ensure that allegations and referrals of abuse and neglect of children in foster care eligible for assistance under Title IV-E of the Act are recorded and investigated in accordance with State requirements. Specifically, we recommend that the State agency ensure that its cases, and, by working with the Justice Center, that Justice Center cases are recorded and investigated in accordance with State requirements; develop procedures to ensure required documentation is submitted timely and retained in case files and by the SCR; ensure that staff meet all required timeframes for submission of reports, and notification of investigations; and ensure that its staff, and, by working with the Justice Center, that Justice Center staff meet all required timeframes for determination of investigations.

We recommend that Southeast Arkansas Community Action Corporation conduct a full physical inventory to ensure that inventory asset records are accurate and complete, and update the inventory asset records as assets are purchased, moved, or disposed.

We recommend that Southeast Arkansas Community Action Corporation limit future drawdowns from the Health and Human Services Payment Management System to past expenditures and immediate future needs as recorded in the general ledger.

We recommend that Southeast Arkansas Community Action Corporation update its cost allocation plan to include only the methodology that allocates vacation, holiday, and sick pay based on the percentage of hours worked for each program.

We recommend that Southeast Arkansas Community Action Corporation update its cost allocation plan to address how to allocate shared equipment costs to more than one program.

We recommend that Southeast Arkansas Community Action Corporation refund $4,784 in unallowable costs.

We recommend that TMT refund to the Federal Government $587,248 in unsupported and unallowable LIHEAP funds.

We recommend that the State agency revise the State licensing requirement for the monitoring of vehicles used to transport children to ensure that the State agency monitors all vehicles at least annually.

ACF should expand the scope of the Child and Family Services Reviews to determine whether children in foster care receive required health screenings according to the timeframes specified in States’ plans.