WASHINGTON CITY ORPHAN ASYLUM DBA HILLCREST CHILDREN'S CENTERNon-Profit

Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions We acknowledge the finding regarding the delayed submission of the FY 2024 Single Audit Report to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse, and we appreciate the opportunity to provide our explanation and corrective action plan. To address this finding and prevent future recurrence, the following corrective actions have been initiated: Hiring of CFO Replacement: A qualified replacement for the Chief Financial Officer has been identified and is currently in the final stages of the hiring and onboarding process. This individual will assume responsibility for financial oversight, including audit preparation and timely submission of compliance reports. Interim Oversight and Delegation: In the interim period, the duties previously overseen by the CFO have been temporarily assigned to the Controller and Chief Executive Officer, with close coordination with the Finance Committee of the Board. This ensures proper oversight and continuity of compliance functions during leadership transition. Revised Internal Calendar and Milestone Tracking: An internal compliance calendar is being updated to reflect all critical reporting deadlines, including those under Uniform Guidance. Key deliverables (e.g., SEFA preparation, audit milestones, report reviews) will be tracked and monitored monthly by management to ensure deadlines are met. Enhanced Communication with Auditors: Management will work closely with external auditors to formalize an earlier schedule for yearend fieldwork, allowing for earlier identification of issues and timely resolution to support ontime audit completion. We have determined that the year-end single audit must start no later than January 31of the end of the year. Internal Controls Improvement: Hillcrest is enhancing its internal control framework (aligned with COSO standards) by documenting audit preparation procedures and establishing written protocols for contingency planning in the event of future staff turnover. Hillcrest Children and Family Center is committed to strong financial management, regulatory compliance, and transparency in all its operations. We view this incident as an isolated disruption resulting from an unanticipated leadership transition and are taking proactive steps to strengthen our internal processes. We are confident that the corrective actions outlined above will ensure timely audit completion and reporting in future years. Name of the contact person responsible for corrective action: Carroll Parks, Chief Executive Officer Planned completion date for the corrective action plan: The corrective action plan is currently active and will be moving forward.

We acknowledge the findings from the audit of our federal grants award, specifically the insufficient documentation of time and effort for one of our employees. We understand the importance of adhering to 2 CFR part 200.430 of the Uniform Guidance and regret any discrepancies that occurred. The single discrepancy noted related to a new employee that was hired for the federal grant a month and half before the end of the grant year. The variance resulted from an inadvertent payroll coding error in the payroll system, where the employee’s time and effort for the grant was miscoded. We appreciate the opportunity to address this finding and are committed to preventing its recurrence. Below, please find the detailed corrective action plan with timelines and responsible parties. Corrective Action Plan 1 Review and Correction: - We wish to assure you that this was an isolated incident resulting from a clerical oversight. As soon as the discrepancy was brought to our attention, corrective measures were promptly taken. The incorrect coding has been rectified in the payroll system. - Further, we have reviewed the documentation for the employee in question to established that the employee subsequent records accurately reflected the time and effort spent on the federal program. 2 Policy Review and Update: - We have reviewed our time and effort documentation procedures to ensure they align with federal requirements and would consistently lead to a fair and accurate time and effort allocation. - We noted that our current policy and procedures are adequate but can be strengthened further by a more effective supervisory review of time sheets for each employee assigned to a federal grant. - Nevertheless, all changes in policies and procedures that result in our continuous review will be documented and communicated to relevant personnel. - Updated procedures will be incorporated into our organizational handbook and made accessible to all staff members. - Further, we will ensure federal program managers are aware of any changes in regulations or requirements. This proactive approach will help us stay updated and adjust our procedures accordingly. 3 Staff Training: - We will, additionally, require all staff involved in federal grants to undergo quarterly training to reinforce the importance of accurate time and effort reporting. This training will cover the proper use of our time reporting system and the necessity of aligning it with accounting records. Our training sessions will cover the requirements of 2 CFR part 200.430 and the specific procedures that must be followed to maintain compliance. 4 Enhanced Oversight and Monitoring: - A system of regular internal audits will be established to monitor the compliance of time and effort documentation. - These audits will be conducted quarterly, and any discrepancies will be promptly addressed to ensure continuous compliance. 5 Continuous Improvement: - We commit to continuously improving our processes and controls related to federal grant management. This will include seeking feedback from our staff and auditors to identify areas for further enhancement. We believe that these corrective actions address the identified deficiency and goes beyond with additional effort to enhance our compliance environment. As a company, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of accuracy and accountability to manage our federal funds.