Independent Living Program - Florida's Center for Child Welfare

FEBRUARY 2005 REPORT NO. 2005 - 119AUDITOR GENERALWILLIAM O. MONROE, CPADEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICESINDEPENDENT LIVING TRANSITION SERVICES PROGRAMOperational AuditSUMMARYThe Department of Children and Family Servicesis responsible for administering a system ofindependent living transition services to enableolder children in foster care and young adults whobecome ineligible for foster care at age 18 to makethe transition to self-sufficiency as adults. TheIndependent Living Transition Services (ILTS)Program assists teens and young adults who meetcertain eligibility requirements to obtain life skillsand education for independent living andemployment. Expenditures for ILTS servicesduring the 2003-04 fiscal year totaledapproximately $17.3 million. Approximately $16.4million is budgeted for ILTS for the 2004-05 fiscalyear.Chapter 2004-362, Laws of Florida, directed theAuditor General to conduct an audit of theIndependent Living Transition Services Program. 1The audit primarily covered the period October2002 through September 2004, and disclosed:Finding No. 1: A comparison of the datasystems used by the Department to record andreport ILTS data disclosed significant differences.As a result, the Department and the Legislaturecannot be assured as to the completeness andaccuracy of information needed to make decisionsregarding long-term funding and the provision ofservices for the ILTS Program.Finding No. 2: Department districts andcontracted Community-Based Care agencies(CBCs) did not ensure only eligible youth wereprovided Young Adult (YA) services and did notalways document how initial and ongoingeligibility requirements were determined.Finding No. 3: YA payments totalingapproximately $542,000 were made to clients inexcess of the fiscal year spending caps.Finding No. 4: The Department did noteffectively implement a needs assessment policyfor Road-to-Independence (RTI) scholarshiprecipients until December 27, 2004. Additionally,the needs assessment instrument for high schoolrecipients did not require the determination ofactual need as the basis for the benefit amount.Finding No. 5: The districts and CBCs did notalways complete the required skills assessmentsfor teens ages 13 up to 18, nor document thatILTS Program services were provided to theteens. Furthermore, the Department has notpromulgated rules, or established written policiesand procedures, addressing the provision of ILTSProgram services to teens ages 13 up to 18.1 Chapter 2004-362, Laws of Florida, also directed the Office of ProgramPolicy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) to developrecommendations for the minimum system standards for ILTS. SeeOPPAGA Report No. 04-78.Page 1 of 20