Department of Economic Security - Division of Children, Youth and Families - Prevention Programs

The report addresses the need for the Division to implement a few measures to further enhance the monitoring of its Healthy Families Arizona (HFAz) and Family Support, Preservation and Reunification/Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) prevention program contractors. Contract monitoring helps protect public funds and the clients being served by identifying and reducing fiscal or program risks as early as possible. Specifically, monitoring helps ensure that contractors comply with contract terms and conditions, that performance expectations are achieved, and that any problems are identified and resolved in a timely manner.

The Division uses many effective practices to monitor its HFAz and PSSF prevention program contractors, including using qualified monitoring staff and promptly addressing performance deficiencies. However, it can further enhance its oversight by implementing a few additional measures, including verifying that PSSF contractors are adhering to the in-kind match requirement, routinely including direct observation of PSSF clients receiving services to better assess service quality, and basing payment for HFAz site visits on receipt of the written site visit report.