Criticism of the Tennessee Department of Human Services has grown.
Wednesday, the department found itself in the cross hairs after another scathing state audit found big problems with a food program in Montgomery County.
Now, some are asking whether TDHS is doing enough to monitor these food programs and some say no.
The state’s audit says it appears the Cherry Tree Food Program in Clarksville misspent nearly $200,000 and much of that money directly benefitted the program’s former executive director.
The state comptroller says he blames, in large part, TDHS for what’s in the report while at least one state lawmaker said he’s very disappointed by the findings.
“There’s nothing that gets me more upset.”
That was Senator Jim Tracy’s reaction to the latest audit by the state Comptroller’s Office. He said he was upset, but, frankly, not surprised by what state auditors found during their investigation of the Cherry Tree Food Program.
The Clarksville non-profit got nearly $3-million dollars a year in federal money to help feed low income children and adults in day care centers across Tennessee. Longtime director Patsy Simpson ran the program out of her home on Trenton Road. But as we first reported last summer, Simpson was fired after the Cherry Tree Board of Directors discovered thousands of dollars in missing money.
But the just-released Comptroller’s Office audit revealed even more serious problems. (continue reading at NewsChannel5)