FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 28, 2009

CONTACT: (609) 633-8507 Kate Bernyk

DCF Response to the State Comptroller Performance Audit of the
Vehicle Assignment And Usage

The New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) released today a performance audit of the Department of Children and Families’ (DCF) vehicle assignment and usage. The audit recognizes the improvements implemented to the department’s fleet management system as well as new policies and procedures enforced during the course of the audit.

“We take seriously the recommendations in this report and will use it as an opportunity to continue the work we have already accomplished to make significant changes to the way we do business at the Department of Children and Families,” DCF Commissioner Kimberly Ricketts said. “I believe DCF is already well on our way to improving the issues identified in the audit, and much of that change has already happened.”

DCF has already made significant improvements to the department’s state vehicle and motor fuel usage. The department has:

• Standardized vehicle dispatcher policies, which included standardizing for each local office within the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) who each vehicle dispatcher reports to;

• Implemented and trained staff on a central electronic vehicle logging system in each local office, which now requires staff to go to a central dispatch to request a vehicle and electronically record date, time, odometer readings, fuel levels and any issuance of a State or commercial credit card at time of assignment and when a vehicle is returned;

• Improved policies related to vehicle accidents and parking violations including payment and garnishing of wages; and

• Continued partnership with the Department of Treasury to share refueling reports and flag any issues more effectively and timely.

“State vehicles are essential for our child welfare staff to successfully do the work they are charged to do – keeping children safe. Our workers often travel various distances at a time, and are sometimes required to attend to children in volatile situations in high crime areas, and it is imperative they have reliable transportation to ensure the safety of not only the children they serve, but also their own safety,” Commissioner Ricketts said. “DCF remains committed to more improvements to the system to best manage this vital resource.” 

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