Audit: Health and Welfare used child care grants for ineligible purposes. Idaho agency disagrees. – Idaho Capital Sun
Audit: Health and Welfare used child care grants for ineligible ... Idaho Capital Sun
sdgtalks
An Audit of Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s Distribution of Grant Funds
An audit into the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s distribution of grant funds to help children deal with the after effects of the pandemic found that “lack of controls throughout the program” led organizations that received the grants “to use the funds for ineligible purposes and for ineligible groups.”
Background
Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen, in a statement issued Monday night, disagreed with all findings in the audit. The audit was ordered by the Idaho Legislature’s budget committee this year and conducted by the Legislative Services Office, the research arm of the Idaho Legislature. The Idaho Press reported in February that the Legislature’s budget committee authorized an audit of the program.
“While we agree with the many factual observations in the report that recognize the diligence and thoroughness of the department’s process, the department respectfully disagrees with all of the report’s findings,” Jeppesen said in the statement.
The release of the audit Monday comes as Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador faces three lawsuits over his demands for information from senior Health and Welfare department officials, an ex-department official and 36 organizations that received the grants.
An Idaho judge recently barred Labrador from pursuing his investigation into the grants, unless he appoints a special prosecutor, the Idaho Capital Sun previously reported. The judge’s decision centered on the Attorney General’s Office providing legal guidance twice to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare that found that the department did not violate laws in how it disbursed the grants. The judge said the guidance created a conflict.
Child Care Grants and Legislative Services Office Audit Findings
What are the child care grants?
The Idaho Legislature appropriated $36 million to Health and Welfare in 2022 through legislation that directed the funds be used for community partner grants that address the pandemic’s impacts on school-aged children, including learning loss. The bill specified that the grants should be used for school-aged children 5-13 years old, but said that the department should follow federal guidance. The Legislature also awarded grant funds in 2021.
A legal memo a deputy attorney general issued to the Department of Health and Welfare in January 2023 said that the agency’s administration of the grants was legally sound. The memo said that when considering federal and state guidelines together, the grants must include kids aged 5-13 years old — but not be limited to them, since federal guidelines didn’t call for age limits. And the department’s applications specified that grants should serve 5-13 year old children, the memo noted. A previous legal analysis provided by the AG’s Office – when former Attorney General Lawrence Wasden was still in office – in November 2022 had similar findings.
What the Legislative Services Office audit found
The audit claimed that the department doled out $427,000 more than allowed, and that the agency did not properly document grant decisions, show proof that the grant awards complied with age requirements and did not “properly review applications” to make sure “ineligible expenses were not included.”
“Based on the evidence available, the lack of controls related to expenditures of public funds allowed for recipients of the grants to use funds received for ineligible purposes and for ineligible age groups that did not meet the purposes specifically defined in the application laws. The findings are serious enough to report to the Idaho Attorney General,” for misuse of public funds, the report concluded.
The Department of Health and Welfare said it hopes that the Attorney General’s Office finds that the funds were distributed legally.
“All along, we have welcomed independent, unbiased review of the department’s administration of the Community Partner grants,” Jeppesen wrote in his statement. “We will meet any review, audit, or investigation with cooperation because we stand by our work. We await the AG’s next step with confidence knowing the grants were distributed legally, as affirmed by his office. In addition, adequate controls were in place to ensure the grants went only to eligible purchases on behalf of eligible children,” Jeppesen said.
- Finding 1: “The Department did not maintain sufficient documentation to support award decisions for the Community Partners Grants.”
- Finding 2: “Some Community Partners Grant Programs received more than the maximum amount allowed by statute through the submission and approval of multiple applications using variations of the entity name while relying on the same tax identification number, address, and phone number.”
- Finding 3: “The Department did not provide evidence that they ensured compliance with age requirements for the Community Partners Grants awarded, as required by the legislative appropriation bills.”
- Finding 4: “The Department did not properly review applications for the Community Partners Grants to ensure that ineligible expenses were not included in the applicants’ budget plan, nor did they document an identification or correction of these ineligible expenses prior to approval and distribution of funds”
- Finding 5: “Status reports required to be submitted by the Community Partners Grant recipients were inadequate to ensure funds were spent in accordance with the requirements of the program.”
- Finding 6: “The Department did not properly document award decisions related to coverage areas identified by the applicant for the Community Partners Grant recipients to ensure the areas identified, and thus the funding provided, were appropriate.”
- Finding 7: “The payments distributed by the Department for phase 1 of the Community Partners Grant exceeded the” $36 million appropriation by $427,350
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- SDG 4: Quality Education
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
- SDG 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services, and access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.
- SDG 4.2: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education.
- SDG 16.6: Develop effective, accountable, and transparent institutions at all levels.
- Indicator for SDG 3.8: Proportion of population with access to essential healthcare services.
- Indicator for SDG 4.2: Percentage of children enrolled in early childhood development programs.
- Indicator for SDG 16.6: Existence of independent national human rights institutions in compliance with the Paris Principles.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services, and access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all. | Proportion of population with access to essential healthcare services. |
| SDG 4: Quality Education | 4.2: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education. | Percentage of children enrolled in early childhood development programs. |
| SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions | 16.6: Develop effective, accountable, and transparent institutions at all levels. | Existence of independent national human rights institutions in compliance with the Paris Principles. |
Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.
Source: idahocapitalsun.com
Join us, as fellow seekers of change, on a transformative journey at https://sdgtalks.ai/welcome, where you can become a member and actively contribute to shaping a brighter future.
