A Performance Audit
An Audit Report on Foster Care Redesign at the Department of Family and Protective Services
March 2018
Summary Analysis
The Department of Family and Protective Services (Department) monitored its contractor (ACH Child and Family Services, or ACH) for foster care redesign in Region 3B through performance measure outcome reviews, annual onsite visits, and other monitoring activities. To strengthen its monitoring process, the Department should consistently (1) document and analyze information from its monitoring, and (2) track ACH’s compliance with all contract requirements.
The Department also had processes and controls to help ensure that it reported complete and accurate results for five of the six foster care-related performance measures that auditors tested. Auditors were unable to determine the accuracy or completeness of the remaining performance measure because the Department did not ensure that ACH verified the accuracy or completeness of the data on which that performance measure was based.
ACH generally monitored the foster care providers with which it contracted as required, but it should improve the documentation of its monitoring to ensure that it consistently identifies and follows up on issues.
The Department established processes to monitor ACH. Specifically, it ensured that ACH met the startup phase requirements, financial requirements, utilization management policy requirements, and payment requirements for items tested.
The Department conducted a review to ensure that ACH had complied with certain contract requirements related to operational readiness, analyzed ACH’s financial information to determine whether ACH met certain contract requirements, and approved ACH’s utilization management policy. In addition, for a sample of 60 child placements that auditors tested, auditors confirmed that the number of days the Department paid ACH for each placement matched the information in ACH’s placement documentation.
The Department developed a monitoring process for its contract with ACH that it based primarily on performance measures specified in its contract with ACH.
The Department’s monitoring process also included internal meetings and meetings with ACH to discuss performance. The Department conducted two site visits at ACH and prepared a monitoring report after each visit. However, the Department did not have documentation to show that it verified that ACH implemented its plan to monitor foster care providers.
The Department had processes and controls to help ensure that it reported accurate and complete results for 5 (83 percent) of the 6 performance measures tested. For the remaining performance measure tested, the Department relied on self-reported data that foster care providers submitted through the Department’s Performance Management Evaluation Tool (PMET) system. However, the Department did not ensure that ACH maintained support for or verified the accuracy or completeness of that data, nor did the Department verify the accuracy or completeness of the data.
ACH generally monitored foster care providers as required by conducting desk reviews and/or onsite visits to determine whether the foster care providers complied with contract requirements and minimum standards. However, it should improve its compliance with annual monitoring requirements and certain aspects of its desk reviews and onsite visits.
Graphics, Media, Supporting documents