His House Children's Home, Inc.
Outcome
HHS OIG found that His House Children's Home, an ORR-funded grantee caring for unaccompanied immigrant children in federal custody, failed to follow ORR safety and placement policies for 652 children and lacked adequate financial internal controls over federal grant funds.
Details
His House Children's Home, Inc. — ORR Grantee Compliance Failures (2015–2017)
Outcome: A 2017 HHS OIG audit found that His House Children's Home failed to follow ORR safety and placement policies for 652 children in its care and lacked adequate internal controls over federal grant funds, resulting in formal recommendations for corrective action.
His House Children's Home, Inc. is a faith-based nonprofit in Miami, Florida, that operated as an Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) grantee responsible for caring for unaccompanied immigrant children in federal custody — children who had crossed the U.S. border without a parent or legal guardian and were placed in ORR-funded care while sponsors were identified.
The HHS Office of Inspector General conducted a grantee review and found systemic compliance failures in two categories.
In the area of child welfare and placement practices, His House case files were missing evidence of required sponsor background checks for 652 children. This is a fundamental safeguard designed to ensure children are not released to traffickers, abusers, or otherwise unsuitable sponsors. The audit also found that His House may not have followed ORR policies for the same 652 children regarding: prompt medical care, provision of appropriate clothing, sponsor placement decisions, post-release services, and notification of the Department of Homeland Security upon a child's release to a sponsor.
In the area of financial management, His House lacked an efficient and effective system of internal controls when administering federal UAC program funds. The organization could not adequately identify the source and application of federal dollars or maintain effective accountability over property and other assets.
His House did not agree with the OIG's findings but did concur with the recommendations and described corrective steps it had taken or planned to take. The OIG recommended that His House develop a documentation policy ensuring ORR requirements were followed, increase oversight of case file review processes, and implement a financial management system meeting federal grant standards.
The case illustrates the particular vulnerability of ORR grantees — organizations that hold legal custody of children in a quasi-governmental capacity, funded with federal dollars, but operating under nonprofit management structures with varying levels of internal compliance infrastructure.
Primary Source: Office of Refugee Resettlement Unaccompanied Alien Children Grantee Review — His House
How Crucible Prevents This
652 children's case files were missing documented evidence of required sponsor background checks, medical care, appropriate clothing, or post-release services — basic welfare safeguards for vulnerable minors in federal custody. Crucible Municipal compliance controls for ORR grantees include automated case file completeness checklists, sponsor vetting documentation trackers, and financial management system audits. The combination of care-standard failures and financial internal control deficiencies in a single grantee review illustrates the dual compliance risk — welfare and financial — present in refugee services organizations.
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