Vermont Did Not Always Follow Federal Requirements in Claiming Title IV-E Training Costs

摘要

In Vermont, the Agency of Human Services, Department for Children and Families (State agency), is responsible for providing a wide array of programs and services, including adoption, foster care, child care, child development, child protection, child support, disability determination, and economic benefits. The State agency contracts with the University of Vermonts College of Education and Social Services (the University) to form the Child Welfare Training Partnership that provides training and professional development to strengthen the child welfare system in Vermont. The State agency claimed $4.25 million ($3.19 million Federal share) in training costs for foster care and adoption programs from October 2007 through September 2010. The State agency's cost allocation plan specified several allocation methods, including random moment time studies, the number of individuals receiving training, and ratios of Title IV-E to non-Title IV-E case counts. These ratios applied to both foster care and adoption programs. Our objective was to determine whether the State agency complied with Federal requirements in claiming Federal reimbursement for Title IV-E training costs.