The state Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) could not show that caseworkers contacted children in foster care within the first 30 days of their placement and lacked documentation proving children were placed in foster homes that met program certifications, according to an audit released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

New York state's Medicaid system could have saved up to $13.6 million it spent on patients with severe kidney disease whose expenses could have been covered by the federal Medicare program, according to an audit released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Auditors also found another $3 million in cost savings. About $1.8 million of the overpayments were recovered before the close of the audit as a result of actions taken by DiNapoli's auditors.

State tax collections totaled $18.6 billion in the first quarter of the new fiscal year, $1.2 billion less than the same period last year and $315.7 million below projections, according to the state cash report issued today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

The state Department of Labor is falling short in enforcing New York’s laws to protect child performers, according to an audit released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. State auditors found shortfalls with how work permits were given to children and employers, inadequate monitoring of work conditions, and insufficient enforcement of requirements to set aside some of the children’s earnings in a trust.

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced today his office approved 1,659 contracts valued at $3.07 billion and approved nearly 1.9 million payments worth nearly $11.2 billion in June. His office also rejected 189 contracts and related transactions valued at $710 million and more than 1,300 payments valued at nearly $2.6 million due to concerns about fraud, waste or other improprieties.

New York state is facing signs of increasing fiscal challenges, including lower revenue targets and possible federal budget and tax changes, according to a report on the state's Enacted Budget Financial Plan issued today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

An audit of five counties by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli’s office found that hundreds of county jail inmates received inappropriate payments totaling more than $236,000 from various social welfare programs and almost $325,000 in state unemployment insurance (UI).

The State Education Department (SED) should improve its process to investigate serious complaints against nurses and more actively monitor professional misconduct, according to an audit released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

In August, the Office of the State Comptroller approved 1,737 contracts for state agencies and public authorities valued at $2.7 billion and approved more than 1.9 million payments worth nearly $9.6 billion. The office rejected 162 contracts and related transactions valued at $10.4 billion and nearly 800 payments valued at nearly $3 million. More information on these contracts and payments is available at www.openbooknewyork.com. 

State tax collections totaled $28.2 billion for the five months ended in August, $133 million above updated projections, primarily due to double digit growth in business tax collections, according to the state cash report issued today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.