A state audit says Missouri isn't doing enough to check eligibility for federally subsidized child care.
The state auditor's annual review of how federal funding is spent found the Department of Social Services sometimes helped pay for child care without adequate proof of a parent or caregiver's eligibility. The audit released Wednesday also shows the agency in some cases failed to ensure child-care providers looked after four or less children unrelated to them in order to work without a license.
The review found the department sometimes couldn't verify or misreported children's relationship to providers. Past state audits have noted similar problems with the how the department verifies eligibility. The department says it's working to address concerns and has plans to further check eligibility of child care providers and recipients.
