BATON ROUGE, La. (KLFY) — A facility serving domestic violence survivors in Acadiana was the subject of scrutiny by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor after being flagged by the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services.
Chez Hope, which serves four parishes in south Louisiana, St. Mary, St. Martin, Iberia and Assumption, was the subject of an informational brief issued by the legislative auditor after DCFS notified LLA of the following possible irregularities:
- Organization, staffing levels, and compensation of staff
- Reasonableness of rent paid for facilities
- Purchase and operation of vehicles used to provide services
- Coordination of food assistance, including SNAP application supportand providing food directly using other federal funds
- Lack of controls over purchases from vendors
- Accuracy of performance data related to services provided to survivors
- Requests for increased funding and the relationship between fundinglevels and service expansion
While no specific wrongdoing was identified, the LLA had several recommendations to address DCFS’s concerns.
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The auditor recommended that DCFS and Chez Hope officials should improve communication to ensure mutual understanding. Also, Chez Hope should more clearly present data to support the structure, staffing level and compensation of staff.
Chez Hope operates two emergency shelters, the Iberia KKIDS (Keeping Kids in Domestic Situations Safe) Center and the TEAR (Technology Education Advocacy and Resource) Center. Chez Hope provides residential (e.g., overnight stays in shelters, hotels or other locations) and non-residential (e.g., court escorts, transportation or groceries) services in these parishes…