Back in February, Michael Nutter blasted John Street for transferring millions of dollars to Philadelphia Safe and Sound in the final days of his administration. A new report about the non-profit from the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare seems to confirm Nutter's criticisms. From the Inquirer story:
The interim report said that as Safe and Sound's budget ballooned from $3 million to $60 million in a matter of years - the additional dollars flowed at Street's request - the nonprofit did not keep up with that growth.
The report said Safe and Sound gave out money to dozens of after-school programs even though it had no formal contracts, and in some cases no letters outlining terms of agreement.
Anne Shenberger, the current director of Safe and Sound, responded to the report by saying that her organization had provided adequate financial oversight to programs that received public dollars. She suggests in the article that the timing and content of the report is politically motivated. According to her, there were no specific standards beyond the contract the agency had with the city to provide services.