The Audit Connection Blog
Frequently Asked Questions about federal child care funds in Washington state
As the authority on auditing public funds in Washington state, we’ve prepared a webpage of FAQ to address some of the most common questions people may have about federal child care funds. Our goal with this FAQ is to be transparent and informative about the role of the Office of the Washington State Auditor on this issue of public concern. ... CONTINUE READING
Digital Navigator Program was plagued by disregard for contracting rules, audit finds
A program intended to help underserved people access online services repeatedly failed to follow state guidance – and at times intentionally ignored grant requirements, a new performance audit published by the Office of the Washington State Auditor found ... CONTINUE READING
SAO’s resource, Leading the Way, is designed to help officials ensure their government’s cybersecurity success
Regardless of your title or the size of your local government, leadership plays a key role in ensuring your government’s cybersecurity success. SAO's recently updated resource, Leading the Way, is designed to help clarify how leaders can invest their government’s time and resources to build a culture of cyber safety and shared responsibility. ... CONTINUE READING
Here’s where things stand around child care fund audits in WA
As the authority on auditing public funds in our state, the Washington State Auditor's Office has insight into child care subsidies and the accusations of fraud percolating in our state. State Auditor Pat McCarthy sheds some light on this important issue of public transparency in this article. ... CONTINUE READING
A look at how Washington used public funds in 2025
The Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) focuses on the state’s financial position, covering revenues, expenses, financial trends and more. While the actual report is complex and lengthy, we’ve prepared a user-friendly infographic summary to make this important information about how Washington used public funds accessible to as many people as possible. ... CONTINUE READING
Announcing “It starts with a process: A guide to using PDCA for continuous improvement”
The It starts with a Process PDCA Guide gives teams a clear, repeatable way to test changes, learn from results and keep improving continuously. The Guide includes key questions to help teams use the PDCA tool to create better workflows, make faster decisions and gain more reliable results. ... CONTINUE READING
Washington State Auditor Pat McCarthy addresses issue of audit of child care subsidies
The Office of the Washington State Auditor is finalizing an audit of the program that provides federal and state funds to subsidize child care in Washington. The Office has received several inquiries from the media and the public this week regarding this issue, in response to allegations of potential fraud. ... CONTINUE READING
We asked Susanne Hancock why she’s worked here for more than 10 years—it came down to three things
SAO Assistant Audit Manager Susanne Hancock has worked here since 2015 auditing local governments to help ensure a cost-effective and collaborative process, and she absolutely loves it. During a recent event recognizing her years of service, she explained why: "People, passion and purpose.” ... CONTINUE READING
Annual report: See how our Office provided accountability and transparency of public funds in 2025
The State Auditor’s Office invites you to take an at-a-glance look at our work and activities during fiscal year 2025 in this interactive, digitally accessible PDF. We are proud of our efforts to work with local governments and state agencies to ensure accountability and transparency for public resources. ... CONTINUE READING
Washington courts want to expand bail alternatives but face difficulties in doing so, audit finds
Several courts in Washington are interested in expanding alternatives to bail, but they appear to use such pretrial services infrequently today and face barriers to doing more, a new performance audit found. SAO examined 14 municipal, district and superior courts to understand their use of pretrial services and what barriers exist to expanding them. Auditors also closely reviewed three courts currently using pretrial services in Spokane and Yakima. ... CONTINUE READING