Los Angeles County CA, the Department of Children and Family Serviceshas misspent millions of dollars on unnecessary and overpriced supplies...

Children's center spending criticized
Auditors say agency mismanaged millions of dollars.
By Troy Anderson, Staff writer
Article Launched: 08/07/2007 10:11:38 PM PDT

http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_6569000

The Los Angeles County agency charged with protecting the region's
children has misspent millions of dollars on unnecessary and overpriced
supplies, violated county spending limits, and has such a shoddy
inventory program that it can't account for all its equipment, according
to an audit released Tuesday.

In one incident, auditors said, the Department of Children and Family
Services bought more than 3,000 toner cartridges for $800,000 in June
2006 - enough to last for three years.

Yet auditors noted that the agency still ordered an additional $450,000
in cartridges the same month, paying 15 percent more per cartridge.

"The manufacturer's specifications indicate that the shelf life of the
toner cartridges is two years," auditors wrote. "At the current usage
rate, more than 4,500 toner cartridges (or more than 70 percent of the
purchases) are expected to expire and may not be usable."

Auditors said the purchases were among more than a dozen significant
deficiencies found in DCFS' procurement operations, caused by slack
management oversight that may have resulted in misappropriations of
funds and property.

"It's highly unusual for a department to have violated this many
policies," said Auditor-Controller Tyler McCauley. "The key finding is
that the people in charge of purchasing did not follow county purchasing
requirements."

DCFS Chief Deputy Director Susan Kerr, who started last October,
requested the audit after receiving reports about problems in the DCFS
Procurement and Forms Management Section.

The section is responsible for spending $177 million annually on
services and supplies.

"We have been reacting very quickly," Kerr said. "When (auditors)
brought issues to our attention, we immediately addressed them."

But the county Office of Investigations is studying whether any
fraudulent activities took place and officials said they expect an
undisclosed number of employees to be fired and disciplined.

Tony Bell, spokesman for Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, said that
while the audit is disconcerting, Antonovich believes that DCFS Director
Trish Ploehn showed leadership by naming new procurement managers.

"We understand there will be a number of firings and disciplinary
actions taken," Bell said. "That's what this new director is bringing to
the department, accountability and transparency."

Auditors cited the department for violating Los Angeles County policies
in purchasing and maintaining an inventory of everything from printer
cartridges and gift cards to computer flash drives and file cabinets.

In the report, auditors wrote that the DCFS inappropriately paid a
vendor for $1.7 million in office supplies before the merchandise was
received.

In another instance, the DCFS bypassed established county solicitation
requirements and paid $450,000 for 2,700 laser toner cartridges -
overpaying by $51,000.

Auditors also found that only about 1,100 of 1,800 purchased USB flash
drives had been distributed to DCFS workers. A total of 78 flash drives
worth more than $5,200 are missing.

The audit found problems regarding gift cards, which social workers
distribute to foster parents or use to buy clothes, meals and other
items for children placed in foster homes.

DCFS Administrative Deputy Claudine Crank said the responsibility for
oversight of gift cards, BlackBerrys and other small, portable equipment
was transferred from procurement to her office.

"Just the fact that it's small, portable equipment, like gift cards, you
could walk away with them very easily," Crank said. Jon Coupal,
president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, said the audit
highlights an egregious case of wasteful spending that often helps
convince taxpayers that the government doesn't need more taxes - but
rather needs to better control waste, fraud and abuse.

"It is unfortunate that this kind of abuse and apparent fraud would
occur at all, but we are pleased an investigation has uncovered it,"
Coupal said.

"Now that it has been uncovered, we hope there will be criminal
prosecutions for the people who are found to have violated state laws
with respect to government practices."




CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NSA / CIA
WIRETAPPING PROGRAM....

CPS Does not protect children...
It is sickening how many children are subject to abuse, neglect and even
killed at the hands of Child Protective Services.

every parent should read this .pdf from
connecticut dcf watch...

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com/8x11.pdf

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com

Number of Cases per 100,000 children in the US
These numbers come from The National Center on
Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington. (NCCAN)
Recent numbers have increased significantly for CPS

*Perpetrators of Maltreatment*

Physical Abuse CPS 160, Parents 59
Sexual Abuse CPS 112, Parents 13
Neglect CPS 410, Parents 241
Medical Neglect CPS 14 Parents 12
Fatalities CPS 6.4, Parents 1.5

CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING HUNDREDS OF INNOCENT
FAMILIES YEARLY NATIONWIDE AND COMING TO YOU'RE HOME SOON...


BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEY
ARE "FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...

more than 70 percent of the purchases) are
expected to expire and may not be usable."

What a bunch of morons.
Proof that the morons at CPS are not just the front line staff!


On Aug 8, 1:05 am, fx wrote:
Children's center spending criticized
Auditors say agency mismanaged millions of dollars.
By Troy Anderson, Staff writer
Article Launched: 08/07/2007 10:11:38 PM PDT

http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_6569000

The Los Angeles County agency charged with protecting the region's
children has misspent millions of dollars on unnecessary and overpriced
supplies, violated county spending limits, and has such a shoddy
inventory program that it can't account for all its equipment, according
to an audit released Tuesday.

In one incident, auditors said, the Department of Children and Family
Services bought more than 3,000 toner cartridges for $800,000 in June
2006 - enough to last for three years.

Yet auditors noted that the agency still ordered an additional $450,000
in cartridges the same month, paying 15 percent more per cartridge.

"The manufacturer's specifications indicate that the shelf life of the
toner cartridges is two years," auditors wrote. "At the current usage
rate, more than 4,500 toner cartridges (or more than 70 percent of the
purchases) are expected to expire and may not be usable."

Auditors said the purchases were among more than a dozen significant
deficiencies found in DCFS' procurement operations, caused by slack
management oversight that may have resulted in misappropriations of
funds and property.

"It's highly unusual for a department to have violated this many
policies," said Auditor-Controller Tyler McCauley. "The key finding is
that the people in charge of purchasing did not follow county purchasing
requirements."

DCFS Chief Deputy Director Susan Kerr, who started last October,
requested the audit after receiving reports about problems in the DCFS
Procurement and Forms Management Section.

The section is responsible for spending $177 million annually on
services and supplies.

"We have been reacting very quickly," Kerr said. "When (auditors)
brought issues to our attention, we immediately addressed them."

But the county Office of Investigations is studying whether any
fraudulent activities took place and officials said they expect an
undisclosed number of employees to be fired and disciplined.

Tony Bell, spokesman for Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, said that
while the audit is disconcerting, Antonovich believes that DCFS Director
Trish Ploehn showed leadership by naming new procurement managers.

"We understand there will be a number of firings and disciplinary
actions taken," Bell said. "That's what this new director is bringing to
the department, accountability and transparency."

Auditors cited the department for violating Los Angeles County policies
in purchasing and maintaining an inventory of everything from printer
cartridges and gift cards to computer flash drives and file cabinets.

In the report, auditors wrote that the DCFS inappropriately paid a
vendor for $1.7 million in office supplies before the merchandise was
received.

In another instance, the DCFS bypassed established county solicitation
requirements and paid $450,000 for 2,700 laser toner cartridges -
overpaying by $51,000.

Auditors also found that only about 1,100 of 1,800 purchased USB flash
drives had been distributed to DCFS workers. A total of 78 flash drives
worth more than $5,200 are missing.

The audit found problems regarding gift cards, which social workers
distribute to foster parents or use to buy clothes, meals and other
items for children placed in foster homes.

DCFS Administrative Deputy Claudine Crank said the responsibility for
oversight of gift cards, BlackBerrys and other small, portable equipment
was transferred from procurement to her office.

"Just the fact that it's small, portable equipment, like gift cards, you
could walk away with them very easily," Crank said. Jon Coupal,
president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, said the audit
highlights an egregious case of wasteful spending that often helps
convince taxpayers that the government doesn't need more taxes - but
rather needs to better control waste, fraud and abuse.

"It is unfortunate that this kind of abuse and apparent fraud would
occur at all, but we are pleased an investigation has uncovered it,"
Coupal said.

"Now that it has been uncovered, we hope there will be criminal
prosecutions for the people who are found to have violated state laws
with respect to government practices."

CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NSA / CIA
WIRETAPPING PROGRAM....

CPS Does not protect children...
It is sickening how many children are subject to abuse, neglect and even
killed at the hands of Child Protective Services.

every parent should read this .pdf from
connecticut dcf watch...

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com/8x11.pdf

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com

Number of Cases per 100,000 children in the US
These numbers come from The National Center on
Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington. (NCCAN)
Recent numbers have increased significantly for CPS

*Perpetrators of Maltreatment*

Physical Abuse CPS 160, Parents 59
Sexual Abuse CPS 112, Parents 13
Neglect CPS 410, Parents 241
Medical Neglect CPS 14 Parents 12
Fatalities CPS 6.4, Parents 1.5

CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING HUNDREDS OF INNOCENT
FAMILIES YEARLY NATIONWIDE AND COMING TO YOU'RE HOME SOON...

BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEY
ARE "FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...