King County officials are calling for more accountability in light of a recent auditor’s report on the Department of Community and Human Services.
The auditor’s report titled — “Department of Community and Human Services Needs to Strengthen Financial Stewardship” — found a lack of oversight at DCHS, which allowed improper payments to contractors for youth programs. It also noted that grants disbursals ballooned to $1.5 billion in 2023 and 2024, compared to $22 million in 2019 and 2020.
“Amid rapid growth in grant funding, DCHS did not consistently apply internal controls, resulting in improper payments, including potential fraud, across multiple programs and contracts,” the report stated. “DCHS took on greater financial risk as a strategy to reduce barriers to contracting among organizations with limited government experience.”…