Audit 387325

Non‐Material Non‐Compliance Material Weakness, Eligibility Criteria: Individuals receiving assistance benefits must meet the eligibility requirements defined in the State Plan and specified in the Child Welfare Manual, Chapter XIII. Additionally, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.303, management is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective internal controls to ensure case records contain sufficient documentation to support eligibility determinations. Condition: The County Department of Social Services could not locate adequate documentation to support eligibility determinations for two adoption cases. We were not able to determine whether these recipients were eligible to receive the Title IV-E benefits. Context: We tested 50 beneficiaries, consisting of 27 adoption cases, 21 foster care cases, and 2 guardianship assistance cases. The above condition was noted in 2 of the 27 adoption cases tested, representing 4% of the overall sample. Effect: Failure to maintain complete and accurate documentation of eligibility determinations increases the risk that assistance payments may be made to individuals who are not eligible to receive benefits. This could result in questioned costs and repayment obligations. Cause: Caseworkers did not maintain complete and accurate eligibility documentation as required by the Child Welfare Manual and related State Plan guidance. Questioned Costs: Known questioned costs total $8,972, representing the combined federal and state share of benefits paid for the two cases in which eligibility could not be verified. Based on the County’s funding allocation, the estimated federal portion of the known questioned costs is approximately 81%, or $7,268. Using the results of our testing and extrapolation to the population, we estimate that likely questioned costs exceed $25,000, based on the same 81% federal share allocation. In accordance with 2 CFR 200.516(a)(3), auditors are required to report known questioned costs and likely questioned costs when they exceed $25,000. Recommendation: The County should strengthen internal controls to ensure all required eligibility documentation is complete, accurate, and consistently maintained in each case file. Supervisory review procedures should be enhanced to verify that eligibility determinations are properly supported. View of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management’s response and corrective action plan are included in the Corrective Action Plan section of this report.