DHS must refocus on feeding children
New Tennessee Department of Human Services Commissioner Danielle Barnes has quite a mess to clean up.
On Feb. 23 — less than a month into Barnes’ tenure — the state comptroller’s office released investigation reports exposing how two contractors who were supposed to be feeding hungry children wasted, abused and misused taxpayer money instead.
The reports repeated longstanding criticism that DHS has failed to monitor and to hold private contractors accountable. Now the agency is trying to recoup more than $2 million in restitution that it may never be able to recover from LaShane Hayes who operated All About Giving, Inc. and from Heal Thyself Deliverance Temple.
DHS had been under fire under the tenure of former Commissioner Raquel Hatter who resigned in February to pursue private sector career options after a tumultuous six years.
As a state agency, DHS is responsible for managing and monitoring federal pass-through dollars for programs such as the $80 million food program for lowincome children.
Federal officials had accused DHS of lax oversight under Hatter’s watch.
In 2016 Comptroller Justin P. Wilson accused Hatter of being “in denial” about problems monitoring the food program and his audits exposed $11.4 million in questionable spending.
All About Giving had offices in Nashville and Knoxville and claimed to be serving food to 72 sites. It turned out that 23 of them could not be verified and eight of those were vacant lots. The organization had received reimbursements from DHS of $2.198 million, from February 2015 to June 2016.
Of $239,569.33 in spending reviewed by investigators, All About Giving could only account for $19.60 in postage. That’s unconscionable. In addition, All About Giving made nearly $135,000 in bank or ATM withdrawals, including some massive cash withdrawals of $30,000 (twice) and $20,000, according to the comptroller’s report.
Haynes, the former chief executive officer, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud Jan. 3 and is scheduled to be sentenced April 12. DHS has gone to federal court to try to recover $2.198 million in restitution from Hayes. If she goes to prison, it is unlikely that action, well-intentioned as it is, will amount to much.
While not as egregious as All About Giving, the probe into Heal Thyself Deliverance Temple in Memphis is still serious. Heal Thyself, headed by Executive Director Camilla Alfred, was paid $85,782 for serving as a summer food program operator in June and July 2015.
The comptroller’s office reported the agency had taken out $12,910 in cash without supporting documents and collected $13,047.81 in reimbursements it should not have received. Employees told investigators reports had been falsified. Both All About Giving and Heal Thyself have been booted from being contractors with the state agency.
Barnes will be overseeing a new era for DHS and deserves a chance to succeed. The mess she inherited will not be easy to fix, but she will make a difference if she can make sure hungry kids get fed and taxpayer money is safeguarded.
This editorial was written by the editorial board of The (Nashville) Tennessean, a sister publication of The Commercial Appeal and a fellow member of the USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee.