New Independent Audit Confirms Child Advocates’ Contract Compliance

INDIANAPOLIS – Child Advocates and its board of directors are pleased to announce that a forensic audit by Clifton Larsen Allen (CLA), an independent auditor, has determined that Child Advocates was in full compliance with its contract with the City of Indianapolis as the CASA (court-appointed special advocate) agency for children in Marion County. CLA examined the contract requirements and information from Child Advocates to confirm its results in a thorough report.

The Child Advocates board of directors initiated the audit after the city of Indianapolis canceled the agency’s contract after 39 years of service, relying exclusively on an incorrect audit report, conducted by Crowe, which the city initiated. The Crowe report, which was not a forensic audit, alleged Child Advocates could not prove compliance with the contract, a position the CLA audit rebuts.

The findings from the CLA forensic audit affirm that Child Advocates was in full compliance in its use of financial resources from the state and local government which was the only cited reason for canceling the contract.

Child Advocates CEO Cindy Booth states, “This report told me what I already knew. We managed the city contract with a high degree of financial integrity, as we have done for more than three decades, and we confidently feel that, with our award-winning services, we are the experts best qualified to serve vulnerable children.”

Child Advocates feels vindicated by CLA’s audit report. The agency was uniquely positioned to provide services to children as the only certified CASA in Marion County, a designation that the contractor, which the city hired, still has not acquired. Child Advocates was the only agency with the capacity in Central Indiana to take care of thousands of children in need. And Child Advocates had 39 years of proven expertise and impact on children’s lives, helping them thrive in a safe and secure home.

Based on the CLA audit, Child Advocates sees no justifiable reason that it is no longer the contracted CASA. The city’s original contract changes are proof that it understood the unique attributes of Child Advocates’ experience because it planned to subcontract all of the work back to the agency.

Now that Child Advocates has been shown to be in compliance with the city’s contract, Child Advocates’ desire is to do what is best for the children and swiftly return to its role as the CASA for Marion County. The agency has reached out to the city to initiate a conversation to discuss the CLA audit. You can read the full forensic audit from Clifton Larsen Allen (CLA) on our website.

Meantime, Child Advocates continues its unwavering commitment to serving children who are abused and/or neglected in Marion County and across the state.