Summary of Report 98-059

An Audit Report on Child Care Licensing and Statewide Intake at the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services

August 1998

Report Number 98-059

Overall Conclusion

The management control systems which support the Child Care Licensing program are weak and do not enable management to easily determine its efficiency and effectiveness. An updated automated system would support unmet information needs and provide the framework for a comprehensive performance monitoring and evaluation system. Licensing program management is aware of its automation needs and is taking action to address the concern.

The management controls for Statewide Intake are adequate to ensure the effective and efficient intake of reports of abuse and neglect of children and the elderly. Additional refinements in a few areas would improve the role of intake, as the function is centralized throughout the State.

Key Facts and Findings

• The Child Care Licensing program enforces 12 sets of minimum licensing standards for close to 21,000 child day care facilities and over 3,000 residential child care facilities and child placing agency homes.
• The Child Care Licensing program's outdated automated system provides limited reports and statistics for management decision-making and performance evaluation.
• Regulation of agency foster homes by child placing agencies should be strengthened to ensure a safe environment for foster children.
• As of May 1998, Statewide Intake answered calls 24 hours a day for all Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (Department) programs in four regions and all the State's Mental Health and Mental Retardation facilities. The centralized intake system covered most of the Department programs' after-hours calls in the remaining seven regions, with total statewide coverage planned by the end of fiscal year 1999.
• Clarifying the intake processes covered by Statewide Intake and those completed by regional staff would promote consistent operations and expectations.
• The key performance target, which is continually monitored, is to answer 80 percent of the calls within 60 seconds. Efforts are being made to consistently meet this target.

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