Views of Responding Officials: The Department agrees with the finding and will implement corrective action; however, notes the following:
Adoption Assistance is an incentive program with payment beginning prior to the finalization of an adoption. The adoption decree is not required for payment as ...
Views of Responding Officials: The Department agrees with the finding and will implement corrective action; however, notes the following:
Adoption Assistance is an incentive program with payment beginning prior to the finalization of an adoption. The adoption decree is not required for payment as the Adoption Assistance Agreement must be entered into prior to the finalization of an adoption.
Corrective Action Taken or Planned:
1. Child Welfare Service (“CWS”) staff will be informed of the audit findings, the importance of diligent compliance of policies and procedures, records maintenance and this corrective action plan.
2. Unit staff (Licensing, CWS, and FPPEU) who manage cases identified with errors in this audit will be retrained, ensuring familiarity with grant requirements and related policies and procedures.
• Staff will be given coaching/supervisory support to correctly complete documentation.
3. Case specific audit findings and corrective action taken will be noted in each record where there was a finding.
• Research/review and document why licensing approval was granted to a household with an individual who was convicted of spousal abuse.
i. If review determines that Adoption Assistance Agreement (“AAA”) was inappropriately authorized, provide family with an adverse action notice discontinuing the AAA and explaining the appeals process.
• Investigate whether supporting documentation regarding whether the State determined that the child cannot or should not be returned to the home of his or her parents can be located and added to the record.
• Secure a copy of the missing adoption decree, although adoption assistance is an incentive program with payment beginning prior to the finalization of an adoption.
• Document the qualifying need for Difficulty of Care (“DOC”) determination for the records, showing how DOC was calculated.
• Document how income eligibility was verified.
• Secure missing modified adoption agreements.
• Locate missing clearances or re run them if not located.
Note: Not all clearances are secured prior to placement; FBI clearances come later and are NOT required prior to placement in a “provisionally licensed” home.
4. The identified errors and the related corrective action steps proposed above will be reviewed by CWS Administrators, staff supervisors, and the Management Information Compliance Unit (“MICU”) within 90 days to ensure missing documentation has been secured and/or properly noted in record.
5. MICU staff will audit records with findings to ensure errors have been documented and corrected.
• MICU will work with Branch Administrators, Social Services Assistants (“SSA”), and program personnel to ensure file updates with completion of missing information.
6. As CWS implements this corrective action plan and monitors the results, the action steps proposed in 1 – 5 may be modified, based on input from CWS Administrators or exploration groups with line staff who complete this documentation.
Expected Completion Date: May 31, 2024 and on going
Responding Officials: Kisha C. Raby, Social Services Division, Child Welfare Services Program Development Office, Administrator, and Tonia Mahi, Social Services Division, Child Welfare Services Program Development Office, Assistant Branch Administrator