BOSTON — An audit released of the Department of Early Education and Care, by State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump, found deficiencies related to investigations of suspected child abuse or neglect, background record checks of program employees, and the timeliness of investigations and licensing visits of group care programs.
“There is perhaps no more important responsibility for state government than ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of children in state care,” Bump said of the audit in a press release. “The Department of Early Education and Care has made progress in some areas in recent years, but there is still more to be done. I encourage the agency to work with the Department of Children and Families to fully implement our recommendations to ensure allegations of abuse in these facilities are fully investigated.”
Group care programs provide care for adolescents and young adults (residents) on a 24-hour residential basis for periods longer than 45 days. Services provided are intended to help residents achieve independent living and provide treatment for residents with mental health issues, behavioral issues, developmental disorders, or previous traumas. During the audit period, there were 354 Department of Early Education and Care-licensed group care programs.
The audit shows the Department of Early Education and Care did not always review or initiate investigations of reports of suspected abuse or neglect of children in its licensed programs, according to the release from the state auditor, Bump’s office found the Department of Children and Families did not send some reports of abuse or neglect to Department of Early Education and Care, and in other instances, Department of Children and Families did send these reports, but Department of Early Education and Care had no record of receiving or investigating them.
Bump called on Department of Early Education and Care and Department of Children and Families to improve their processes for communicating, reviewing, storing, and retrieving reports of abuse or neglect.
The audit also revealed the Department of Early Education and Care did not complete required group care program licensing visits and investigations of incidents of alleged child abuse at these facilities within established deadlines, the press release states. Forty of the 50 closed investigations reviewed by Bump’s staff were completed after established due dates (generally 30 days after the investigation is assigned). On average these investigations were completed 61 days after these deadlines. Additionally, the audit found licensing site visits were late for 16 percent of program files reviewed.
Finally, the audit found the Department of Early Education and Care did not ensure that all staff at its licensed group care programs had undergone required background record checks before beginning their employment. In its response, the department indicated it took steps to improve its process for conducting background record checks after the audit period, the press release states.
The Department of Early Education and Care is responsible for licensing childcare providers and providing financial assistance for childcare services for low-income families, parenting support for families, and professional development opportunities for employees in the field of early education and care. The agency licenses approximately 9,000 childcare-related programs, including 428 licensed residential programs (354 group care programs and 74 temporary shelters). During the audit period, it had a total of 174 employees, and in fiscal year 2018, it received $576.8 million in state appropriations.