Q&A
Unpaid invoices for Fort Greene Council from 2020
1:23:45
ยท
3 min
Council Member Crystal Hudson inquires about over $500,000 in unpaid invoices for Fort Greene Council dating back to 2020. Deputy Chancellor Simone Hawkins explains that the issue is related to a family child care network contract and a change in payment systems from HHS accelerator to Passport. The DOE is working to resolve the payment issue but faces challenges due to the old system no longer being accessible.
- The unpaid amount has grown to over $1,200,000, affecting the daycare center's cash flow and growth.
- The DOE commits to investigating the issue and working directly with the council member to resolve it.
- The situation highlights administrative and operational challenges in the early childhood education system.
Crystal Hudson
1:23:45
Thank you so much.
1:23:46
And sorry, I wanna revisit my first question because I think the numbers you provided were for, 2024, not 2020.
Simone Hawkins
1:23:55
For the invoices council member?
Crystal Hudson
1:23:57
Yes.
1:23:58
For Fork Green Council.
1:24:00
So they're still awaiting over $500,000 in reimbursements from child care services rendered in 2020.
1:24:10
Twenty '20.
1:24:10
We've already Yeah.
1:24:11
And that's what I'm trying to get to the bottom of.
1:24:14
They have told my team that there were initial email correspondences with promises made, invoice amount with submission history and reimbursement approval from DOE in the mayor's portal.
1:24:32
There was a submission to the mayor's office requesting help with the situation in December 2024, and there's been subsequent back and forth correspondences within the invoices showing a log between Forkling Council and the DOE representative.
Simone Hawkins
1:24:50
Oh, my team is saying that was related to the family child care network.
1:24:54
It's a different contract and that at that time was part of a different system, was HHS accelerator, now we're in passport and so my team has been working diligently with them.
1:25:05
As you know we're in FY '25 and so we have to do a lot more work to go as far back as 2020 especially when the systems are different but we have been in conversation with them about that.
Crystal Hudson
1:25:16
Is is it the change in systems that caused the non payment?
Simone Hawkins
1:25:21
I have to look into the details of what caused the non payment going back to 2020 that I don't have details on for you but I can definitely round back.
1:25:29
But we are working with them to get them payment.
Crystal Hudson
1:25:32
Okay.
1:25:33
So what exactly does working with them to get payment mean though?
Simone Hawkins
1:25:37
Yeah.
1:25:38
We've been in continued contact with them letting them know what we have to do.
1:25:41
We have to reach out to mocks, we have to reach out to other agencies to support since the information was submitted in the system we no longer have access to.
1:25:48
Right.
1:25:48
And so we have to somehow in some way be able to pull out that information so we can remit payment in a totally different system.
Crystal Hudson
1:25:55
So it's an administrative, operational type of issue.
1:25:59
Do you know if there are other centers that are facing similar challenges that where money got backed up from the previous platform you used?
Simone Hawkins
1:26:09
I don't want to misspeak no, not in this particular situation and only for our family child care networks are they in a different system from our CBOs.
1:26:17
So I'm personally not aware of others other programs in this situation.
Rita Joseph
1:26:22
Okay.
Crystal Hudson
1:26:24
They've, you know, continued to incur expenses for child care services, and today over $1,200,000 remains unpaid, which has obviously limited cash flow and negatively affected the overall condition and growth of this day care center.
1:26:40
So I would love to to work directly with you and your teams to figure out the fastest way to get this paid for 2020.
Simone Hawkins
1:26:51
Absolutely.
1:26:51
I will work with my team on this issue to make sure we are definitely dotting every I and crossing every t.
1:26:57
Okay.
1:26:57
Great.
1:26:58
And so I would love to connect with you about that site and any other sites in your Thank you.