Overview
- Auditors identified seven registered sex offenders listing the same addresses as approved guardianship homes that housed 10 children as of August 2024.
- Deficient background checks allowed a group-home employee with a prior sexual assault conviction to work with foster youth; he was later charged over alleged abuse, and the provider’s license was revoked.
- Between 2023 and 2024, 280 children spent time in hotels under unlicensed one-on-one supervision, including 82 for three months to two years, costing roughly $10.4 million, and one vendor employee had a 1990 murder conviction.
- As of May 2024, 540 children had missed a required annual medical exam and more than 1,600 lacked timely dental exams, with some going years without care.
- The Social Services Administration received a third straight unsatisfactory rating and was cited for $22.5 million in lost federal funds, up to $34.5 million in unrecovered overpayments, and a $698,000 penalty, while DHS says corrective reforms are underway.