More Effort is Needed to Protect the Integrity of the Child Care and Development Fund Block Grant Program

The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) block grant program is a Federal-State partnership to provide eligible, low income families with help paying for child care at a provider of their choice. Within the CCDF program, OIG has previously identified fraud, found improper payments, and exposed health and safety concerns at child care facilities. In addition, CCDF has been identified as a Federal program that is susceptible to significant improper payments, with an estimated $311 million in improper payments identified for fiscal year (FY) 2015. This report focuses on how States and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) ensure the integrity of the CCDF block grant program and the results of States' program integrity activities. This work is part of an initiative that OIG is undertaking to address vulnerabilities in grant programs across the Department of Health and Human Services.