This audit follows up on recommendations made from the 2014 audit, Residential Care Services for Children.

We found that the Department of Health & Human Services has initiated adequate action to address all of the recommendations and underlying issues from the 2014 audit.

Actions implemented to date have had a positive impact on reducing the number of children in residential care and have improved departmental oversight of service providers’ performance. Actions still underway have the potential to improve staffing capacity and capability in residential care services.

While the department reports to its audit committee on management’s progress in addressing recommendations, the impact of these actions is not reported to the committee. However, recent changes could address this gap in audit committee oversight.