Audit: Ex-Director of DCYF Accepted ‘Inappropriate' Payments

An audit has found the former director of Rhode Island's child welfare agency received inappropriate payments from a vendor that had a contract with the agency.

Officials at the Department of Children, Youth and Families requested the audit to review financial irregularities with the Center for South East Asians, or CSEA, a Providence-based nonprofit.

The audit, released Tuesday, says former DCYF director Janice DeFrances may have violated state ethics laws by receiving thousands from CSEA by acting as a "consultant" during her tenure.

DeFrances says the audit is inaccurate and she didn't receive any payments from CSEA.

The audit also says CSEA failed to spend and return $433,962 of the $973,245 it received from DCYF in fiscal years 2014 and 2015.

CSEA says the audit contains "assumptions" that harm the center's reputation.