By Bob Katzen

State Auditor Diana DiZoglio released the results of an audit of the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), reviewing the period from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022.EEC, which licenses approximately 9,000 childcare-related programs that support an average of 55,000 children daily, has responsibilities including providing financial assistance for childcare services to families with low incomes, providing parenting support to families and providing professional development opportunities to employees in the field of early education and care.

The audit’s findings include charges that EEC did not conduct licensing visits to residential programs within the required timeframes. The report noted that EEC cannot ensure that its residential programs operate within safe and healthy environments if it does not complete licensing visits within the required period.

The report also alleges that EEC did not review or initiate investigations of all reports of suspected child abuse and neglect in its licensed programs and failed to conduct all required background record checks for all employees of its licensed residential programs.

“Our Early Education and Care audit has identified serious issues that put children at risk,” said DiZoglio. “These concerns must be immediately addressed so children are protected. We urge the administration to respond with the urgency that this matter requires and look forward to our post-audit review in six months to track progress on our recommendations.”