Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Action:
Department of Human Services Response
DHS concurs with the finding. Specifically, the documentation provided to auditors during the audit period did not include a full review of allowable expenditures correlated to the federal draws. Du...
Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Action:
Department of Human Services Response
DHS concurs with the finding. Specifically, the documentation provided to auditors during the audit period did not include a full review of allowable expenditures correlated to the federal draws. During the quarter, indirect costs are estimated and are then adjusted to actual indirect costs when the quarterly cost allocation report is completed. If an overpayment was identified after comparing to the cost allocation report, the next federal draw would be reduced by the overpayment. Due to the timing of the DHS Cost Allocation report and the omittance of the allowable 2022 CNP Block grant expenditures, the expenses were understated for 2023 CNP Block grant resulting in the appearance of a federal overpayment.
Following the audit, it was determined DHS DCCECE staff coded 161 transactions totaling direct costs of $1,977,927.62 of allowable expenses for October 2022, November 2022, and March 2023 in the State’s accounting software, AASIS, to the 2022 CNP Block grant when only $505,835.54 federal grant funds were available. The difference of $1,472,092.08 in federal funding was properly drawn from the 2023 CNP Block grant, but AASIS error corrections were not timely submitted to the managerial accounting prior to the close of SFY2023 to ensure the proper allocation of the expenditures. The cost allocation report provided to auditors during the audit period only included the 2023 CNP Block grant AASIS coding and did not include the 2022 CNP Block grant AASIS coding of $1,472,092.08. The remaining difference of $24,186.92 is due to timing of DHS’s Cost Allocation quarterly report that became available July 20th for the June 30th 2023 CNP Block grant expenses. DHS submitted additional documentation to ALA in February 2024 accounting for all allowable expenditures.
DHS Managerial Accounting staff have been provided additional cost allocation training and audit response training. Documents responsive to audit requests will be more fully reviewed prior to submission as senior finance management staffing allows. Effective August 1, 2023, DHS DCCECE has transitioned to Arkansas Department of Education (ADE). DHS will continue to work in cooperation and coordination to provide all relevant financial information, documentation, or other items necessary for the administrative functions of DCCECE so as not to disrupt any services.
Arkansas Department of Education Response
Arkansas Department of Education, Finance unit monitors fund balances in the States’s accounting system, AASIS, at minimum, every other day. The frequency of this process accounts for previous activity in funds or cost centers and pending activity recognized at the time of the review including, but not limited to, upcoming expenses and drawdown requests. ADE procedures ensure the finance unit closely oversees cash on hand, if any, and all necessary drawdowns are completed for immediate use.
Additionally, funds associated with the Office of Early Childhood (formerly DCCECE) that were carried to ADE are shown in the cash edit table, allowing the fund to have a negative balance in the State’s accounting system, AASIS. Including funds in the cash edit table supports the agency in preventing excess drawdowns by allowing funds to be received after expenses are processed. ADE is confident this procedure ensures accurate amounts are drawn.
Anticipated Completion Date:
Department of Human Services Response
Complete
Arkansas Department of Education Response
ADE Finance has implemented the named procedure and continues to monitor cash on hand closely, as the ADE Office of Early Childhood staff, (formerly DHS DCCECE), are trained in this procedure.
Contact Person:
Name: Misty Eubanks
Title: Deputy Secretary for Operations and Budget and Interim Chief Financial Officer
Agency: Department of Human Services
Address: P.O. Box 1437, Slot S201
City, State, Zip: Little Rock, AR, 72203-1437
Phone Number: 501-320-6327
Email Address: misty.eubanks@dhs.arkansas.gov
Name: Amy Thomas
Title: Accounting Operations Manager
Agency: Arkansas Department of Education
Address: Four Capitol Mall, Room 204
City, State, Zip: Little Rock, AR, 72201
Phone Number: 501-682-3636
Email Address: Amy.Thomas@ade.arkansas.gov