Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick has formally requested the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) intervene in Missouri’s oversight of a federally funded food assistance program. The call for federal review follows repeated audits that have identified significant problems within the state’s administration of the program.
Fitzpatrick’s concerns, outlined in a letter to the USDA, center on the Child and Adult Care Food Program. This program provides reimbursements to child care centers and adult care facilities for meals served to eligible participants across the state. A statewide audit revealed that inadequate oversight by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has allowed for improper and unsupported reimbursement claims to persist, despite previous recommendations for improvement from the auditor’s office.
Auditors examined 60 monitoring reviews conducted by the state, involving various participating facilities and sponsors. Among the 58 reviews where reimbursement claims were tested and errors quantified, 50 were found to contain either overpayments or underpayments. These reviews specifically identified $72,561 in overpayments and $4,275 in underpayments. This resulted in a net overpayment of $68,286 within the sample reviewed. The errors represented at least 12% of the meal reimbursements tested in these cases.
Auditor Fitzpatrick warned that if similar issues are widespread across the program’s total reimbursements, which amount to approximately $69.9 million, taxpayers could face substantial additional losses. Fitzpatrick stated, "You get what you tolerate," expressing concern that state officials have consistently failed to address deficiencies previously identified by his office. The auditor’s office has recommended stronger oversight procedures for three consecutive years. These recommendations included expanding investigations when significant reimbursement errors are discovered.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has disputed the findings of the state audit. In its written response, the department asserted that its current procedures comply with USDA requirements. Department officials also argued that the audit’s sampling methodology disproportionately included facilities deemed higher-risk. Furthermore, the department stated that any identified overpayments were either recovered or fell below a federal threshold, indicating that no federal costs remained in question.
However, Fitzpatrick’s office maintains that these recoveries do not adequately address underlying weaknesses in the system that could permit future improper payments. The auditor also referenced a separate investigation released in 2025. This earlier investigation identified insufficient oversight in other food assistance programs, which was connected to millions of dollars in alleged fraud and subsequent federal indictments.
Fitzpatrick is now asking the USDA to formally review his office’s findings and determine if additional corrective measures are necessary to improve the program’s integrity. This request from the auditor comes as Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe has separately announced "Operation Show-Me the Money," a new state and federal initiative designed to target fraud within various taxpayer-funded benefit programs across Missouri. The auditor’s request seeks a direct federal review to ensure that Missouri’s Child and Adult Care Food Program operates with appropriate accountability.
