OIG conducts audit on child placement agency

The OIG conducted an audit of Benchmark Family Services (Benchmark), a child placing agency formerly under a residential childcare contract with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). The contract was terminated May 31, 2021. The audit objective was to determine whether Benchmark had processes and controls in place to ensure it provided foster care services in accordance with selected contract terms and applicable requirements. The audit scope included a review of non-payroll expenditures (excluding foster parent payments) for the period from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019, and foster parent payments, service plans and foster home monitoring for the period of September 1, 2019 through August 31, 2020 at the Dallas and San Antonio offices.

Benchmark did not have effective processes and controls related to completing service plans and foster home quarterly monitoring visits to ensure it consistently provided foster care services in accordance with selected contract terms. Specifically, Benchmark did not provide documentation to support that it consistently (a) completed service plans as required or (b) monitored foster homes adequately. The nonpayroll expenditures tested were allowable, supported, and accurately recorded in accordance with cost reporting requirements. Additionally, for the samples tested, Benchmark ensured that foster parents were paid in accordance with DFPS requirements. Benchmark is no longer a contractor with DFPS; therefore, the OIG did not make any recommendations in this report. Click here for the full audit