21651: (Hermantin)Sun-Sentinel-Haitian center to lose $535,000 in funding for operating (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>


Haitian center to lose $535,000 in funding for operating problems



By Leon Fooksman
Staff Writer

April 30, 2004

The Children's Services Council of Palm Beach County has decided to pull
$535,000 from a West Palm Beach-based Haitian social services agency for
conflicts of interest, poor record keeping, low program attendance and high
staff turnover.

The children's council has been closely monitoring the Haitian Center for
Family Services since last summer after discovering the center's interim
director, Thierry LeConte, was being paid to be the organization's
consultant, and Patrick LeConte, the director's brother and the center's
board chairman, was signing the checks. The council also had issues with
another former director, three employees and Patrick LeConte receiving loans
from the organization.

Last week, the council's board agreed to stop financing the Haitian center
and begin looking for another agency to continue providing family
counseling, after-school programs and other services to families in West
Palm Beach, Riviera Beach and Belle Glade. Marlene Passell said the council
will make sure services aren't interrupted while it searches for a new
agency.

"We've had continuous issues with this agency," Passell said. "We need to
find an agency that has a track record of doing good work."

The Haitian center's director, Wordy Nicolas, declined to comment Thursday.
Board Chairman David Harris could not be reached despite attempts on his
cell phone.

The children's council found records showing that 15 employees had resigned
or were fired in a 10-month period in 2002-2003, and employees continued to
leave the agency this month. The council also determined that many of the
Haitian center's programs had below-average attendance.

The center was one of two Haitian social-services agencies that came under
fire last summer. The children's council and other public agencies
criticized the Haitian American Community Council in Delray Beach for
limited oversight by its board of directors and for its director steering
AIDS clients into houses owned by her and her relatives.

The West Palm Beach center's estimated $1.6 million budget comes from public
and private sources.

Leon Fooksman can be reached at lfooksman@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6647.
Copyright © 2004, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

_________________________________________________________________
Getting married? Find tips, tools and the latest trends at MSN Life Events.
http://lifeevents.msn.com/category.aspx?cid=married