2024-007 Material Weakness in Internal Control over Compliance The Child Nutrition Cluster: 10.555 – National School Lunch Program and 10.559 – Summer Food Service Program 10.558 – Child and Adult Care Food Program Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Education Contract Number: 359-46-477-8 C...
2024-007 Material Weakness in Internal Control over Compliance The Child Nutrition Cluster: 10.555 – National School Lunch Program and 10.559 – Summer Food Service Program 10.558 – Child and Adult Care Food Program Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Education Contract Number: 359-46-477-8 Condition: During our testing of subrecipient monitoring activities for PDE programs CACFP, NLSP, and SFSP, we selected 31 contracted centers at random. Management provided documentation for each site, including contracts, meal pattern usage records, licensure and training documentation, and both announced and unannounced meal observation reviews. However, we found that CBS Food Program did not always maintain sufficient evidence to prove required monitoring was performed under the CACFP program. For one center, management could not produce proof that meal observation reviews or the mandated two unannounced visits occurred. At another center, neither a contract nor any meal observation review records, including the two required unannounced visits, could be provided. For the NLSP and SFSP, management was unable to provide contracts for any of the seven sampled centers. Additionally, there was no evidence of training for one center, and a second center had a noncompliant monitoring visit; although corrective action was prepared, follow-up occurred only after 66 days instead of within the required 45-day window. Recommendation: We recommend that management strengthen internal controls to ensure all required PDE CACFP, NLSP and SFSP subrecipient monitoring activities, including scheduled meal observations and the mandated unannounced visits—are consistently performed, documented, and retained. Management should implement a centralized tracking system to monitor review deadlines, required follow up actions, and receipt of supporting documentation from each contracted center. In addition, staff responsible for monitoring should receive periodic refresher training on PDE CACFP, NLSP and SFSP specific expectations. Finally, management should conduct periodic internal reviews to verify that monitoring documentation is complete, compliant, and appropriately maintained. Repeat Finding: No Explanation of Disagreement with Audit Finding There is no disagreement with the audit finding. Action taken in response to finding: Community Benefit Solutions shall utilize internally developed Quickbase application to schedule and track monitoring visits including ensuring necessary corrective action follow-ups are conducted within 45 days documented corrective action needed. Moreover, Community Benefit Solutions will require all monitoring staff to successfully complete monitoring specific training in addition to the annual and civil rights training to ensure up to date knowledge of all requirements. Trainings will be assigned, monitored and signed off on by Director of Operations. Planned completion date for corrective action plan: June 30, 2025