REPORT DIGEST

DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES

FINANCIAL AUDIT

and

COMPLIANCE EXAMINATION

For the Year Ended:

June 30, 2006

Summary of Findings:

Total this audit                      12

Total last audit                      14

Repeated from last audit       10

Release Date:

April 12, 2007

State of Illinois

Office of the Auditor General

WILLIAM G. HOLLAND

AUDITOR GENERAL

To obtain a copy of the Report contact:

Office of the Auditor General

Iles Park Plaza

740 E. Ash Street

Springfield, IL 62703

(217) 782-6046 or TTY (888) 261-2887

This Report Digest and the Full Report are available on

the worldwide web at

http://www.auditor.illinois.gov

SYNOPSIS

¨      Child welfare and foster care files lacked complete and timely prepared documentation.

¨      The Department's child abuse investigations did not always fully comply with State law.  For instance, the Department:

-                      Did not always determine whether reports of child abuse and neglect were "unfounded" or "indicated" within 60 days.

-                      Failed to initiate some investigations of child abuse and neglect within 24 hours of receipt.

¨      All contracts were not reviewed and signed prior to the beginning of the contract period.

¨      All overtime worked was not evidenced by proper prior approval.

¨      Annual employee performance evaluations were not completed timely.

¨      Contracts with residential and group home service providers did not all include measurable criteria necessary to ensure desired results are achieved.

Child case files incomplete and not timely prepared

All child abuse and neglect determinations not timely completed

Historical Analysis

All child abuse and neglect reports not investigated timely

Historical Analysis

Contracts signed after beginning of contract period

Overtime approvals missing, incomplete, or late

Performance evaluations late

Additional contract provisions needed

FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

INCOMPLETE AND UNTIMELY CHILD WELFARE AND FOSTER CARE FILES

      The Department’s Child Welfare and Foster Care files lacked required documentation and not all case procedures were performed timely.  During our review of 60 case files, we noted:

-         4 administrative case reviews (ACRs) were not performed.

-         16 ACR notifications were not sent.

-         3 health summaries were not in the file.

-         7 education and development summaries were not in the file.

-         32 medical and dental consent forms were not in the file or were outdated.

-         9 placement and payment authorization forms did not contain all required documentation or were not in the file.

-         26 files did not contain current photographs of the child.

-         34 files did not contain fingerprints of the child.

-         21 files did not contain required permanency hearing information.

-         40 permanency planning checklists were not in the file.

-         4 case entry forms were not in the file.

-         7 child summary forms were not in the file.

-         2 children absent from placement forms were not in the file.

-         15 case review forms were not in the file.

-         27 initial placement checklist forms were not in the file.

The Department’s Administrative Procedures prescribe deadlines and documentation requirements for file maintenance.  The failure to follow established Department procedures could result in inadequate care, unauthorized services or misuse of State funds.  (Finding 1, pages 11-14)  This finding was first reported in 1998.

  Department officials stated they will continue to stress the importance of adequate and timely documentation for the placement files.  (For the previous agency response, see Digest Footnote #1.)

OVERDUE CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT DETERMINATIONS

      Reports of child abuse and neglect were not always determined within 60 days as required by the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act.  The Act states the Department shall determine, within 60 days, whether a report is "unfounded" or "indicated" and provides that the Department may extend the period up to an additional 30 days for good cause.  Department statistics indicate the following noncompliance:

                    Total       

                 Reports         Determinations           Percent of

Fiscal       Requiring               Not              Determinations

 Year    Determinations  In Compliance      Not In Compliance

 2006         66,593                1,060                     1.59%

 2005         66,550                1,140                     1.71%

 2004         62,069                1,294                     2.08%

 2003         58,956                   952