Report Materials
Why OIG Did This Audit
- In Federal fiscal year 2021, an unprecedented number of unaccompanied alien children began arriving at the U.S. southern border. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) awarded contracts to provide shelter and services for unaccompanied alien children at emergency intake sites.
- In 2021, ACF awarded 62 contracts totaling $4.8 billion without using a competitive bidding process.
- This audit examined whether ACF awarded, monitored, and closed five of these contracts totaling over $2.8 billion in accordance with Federal requirements.
What OIG Found
ACF did not comply with Federal requirements when awarding, monitoring, and closing out the five contracts as shown below.
What OIG Recommends
We made four recommendations to ACF, including developing an action plan to address time constraints when awarding contracts during influxes of unaccompanied alien children. The full recommendations are in the report.
ACF concurred with our recommendations and outlined the actions that it has taken to address our recommendations.
25-A-06-115.01 to ACF - Open Unimplemented
Update expected on
03/02/2026
We recommend that the Administration for Children and Families develop action plans to consider the use of advance contracts so that contracting officers can provide for full and open competition; adequately evaluate proposed prices; and confirm that contracts contain a detailed statement of work, all of the required clauses, and a quality assurance surveillance plan.
25-A-06-115.02 to ACF - Open Unimplemented
Update expected on
03/02/2026
We recommend that the Administration for Children and Families develop action plans to verify that contracts contain measurable performance standards.
25-A-06-115.03 to ACF - Open Unimplemented
Update expected on
03/02/2026
We recommend that the Administration for Children and Families develop action plans to implement policies and procedures for COR file management.
25-A-06-115.04 to ACF - Open Unimplemented
Update expected on
03/02/2026
We recommend that the Administration for Children and Families develop action plans to train contracting officers to improve the contract closeout process by deobligating excess funds within 30 days after completion of the contract and obtaining a release of all liabilities, obligations, and claims arising from the contract before issuing the final payment.
View in Recommendation Tracker
Notice
This report may be subject to section 5274 of the National Defense Authorization Act Fiscal Year 2023, 117 Pub. L. 263.