Views of Responding Officials: The Department agrees with the finding and will implement corrective action. Although there was better communication with the auditors this year, Child Welfare Services (CWS) will continue to communicate and share information with auditors to improve understanding duri...
Views of Responding Officials: The Department agrees with the finding and will implement corrective action. Although there was better communication with the auditors this year, Child Welfare Services (CWS) will continue to communicate and share information with auditors to improve understanding during the Title IV-E reviews. Moving forward, it would be beneficial for CWS to hold entrance and exit interviews. The entrance interview would be sharing the tool with the auditors, and the exit interview would be explaining major audit findings and discussion to the final report. Corrective Action Taken or Planned: 1. CWS staff will be informed of the audit findings and corrective action plan, emphasizing the importance of: A. Reviewing their work to ensure diligent compliance with policies and procedures. B. Supervisor coaching, support and review of records/documents for completeness. C. The impact of individual unit records maintenance performance on the outcome of the audit and this corrective action plan. 2. Case specific audit findings and corrective actions taken will be noted in each record where there was a finding. Staff will: A. Continue to ensure staff is securing the Adoption Assistance and Legal Guardian permanency assistance forms that provide notice for age changes and payment increases. B. Document the qualifying need for Difficulty of Care (DOC) determination for the records, showing how DOC was calculated and ensuring filed in eligibility record. C. Locate or reprint and file missing “Certificate of Approvals.” D. Locate missing clearances in records not provided for review or re-run them if not located in records reviewed. Please 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. E. For young person(s) in Imua Kakou (IK) who turned 18 while in care, i. CWS will secure a letter for the record, from the school that the young person is attending, which notes when the young person is expected to graduate. ii. Work with IK providers and IK liaison to make sure logs and meeting minutes are in SHAKA. iii. Document (reason for) continuation of monthly subsidy payments after youth turned 18. 3. CWS has identified the Eligibility Unit (FPPEU) record as the primary record for audits with the Licensing record and other case files as secondary. 4. 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. A. The FPPEU Administrator and supervisors will review the eligibility unit record checklist and ensure use of checklist will lead to a complete record containing all required documentation. B. FPPEU staff will review error records identified in this audit by following checklists and securing missing documentation, updating inaccurate information and verifying that all necessary documentation is present. i. Staff will be given coaching/supervisory support to correctly complete documentation. ii. Document the qualifying need for Difficulty of Care (DOC) determination for the records, showing how DOC was calculated. iii. Case specific audit findings and corrective actions taken will be noted in each record where there was a finding. C. The Licensing Unit Section Administrator and supervisors will review error records identified in this audit, secure missing documentation, update inaccurate information and verify that all necessary documentation is present. i. Strategies will be developed with Supervisors to support coaching/supervision to ensure appropriate documentation is reviewed to catch and correct errors. ii. Case specific audit findings and corrective actions taken will be noted in each record where there was a finding. 5. 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. A. MICU staff will audit records to verify that corrective actions have been completed for case specific audit findings. This includes verifying that records contain a note explaining updated information or information gathered due to audit. B. MICU will work with Branch Administrators, Section Administrators, Social Services Assistants (SSA) and program personnel to ensure file updates with completion of missing information. C. MICU will verify accuracy of DOC calculations for case specific errors noted in this audit, while supervisors will verify accuracy of DOC calculations on an ongoing basis. 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. Completion Date: May 31, 2026 Responding Official(s): Kisha C. Raby, Social Services Division Program Development Administrator; Tonia Mahi, Social Services Division Assistant Child Welfare Services Branch Administrator; Lavina Forvilly, Social Services Division Assistant Program Administrator; and Corey Pablo, Social Services Division Management Information Compliance Unit Supervisor