An audit of the Butler County Children and Youth Services office showed that inappropriate overpayments to foster parents occurred in 16 cases during a five-year period. The audit indicated that the total of the overpayments was $38,467, with all but about $1,100 going to one foster parent who has been criminally charged.

The rest of the overpayments resulted from paying parents for a month after the foster child was no longer in their care.

About $1.2 million was paid to foster families between Jan. 1, 2004, and Aug. 31, 2009.

Human Services Director Carmine Scotece, who oversees CYS, said more checks and balances have been put in place to reduce the chance of more problems. Chief among them is a new computer software program that tracks payments.

The audit report was given to Butler County commissioners Dec. 23.

Commissioners voted in October to hire Grossman Yanak & Ford, a certified public accountant firm from Pittsburgh, to review the agency's financial records, particularly those related to the foster parent who has been accused of theft.

Butler County Detective Pat Cannon filed theft charges Sept. 30 against Tammy Lynn Smith, 42, of Penn, accusing her of taking monthly checks to care for children who no longer were living with her. A preliminary hearing will be held before District Judge Susan Haggerty, of Saxonburg.

According to court documents, Ms. Smith accepted $37,347 in funds from the Butler County CYS office over a five-year period. She had served as a foster mother to two children in 2004, but the children had been returned to their biological mother.

In error, the checks kept coming. The mistake was caught by CYS employees.

Mr. Scotece said he does not expect criminal action against recipients of other overpayments, but the county is exploring repayment options.

First Published: January 7, 2010, 5:00 a.m.