Policy & Practice | Fall 2026

families and providers rather than creating additional obstacles. The Wyoming model demonstrates that agencies do not necessarily have to choose between access and account ability. With thoughtful design, they can advance both. Moving From Detection to Prevention The conversations at APHSA’s webinar and National Human Services Summit reflected a broader shift occurring across human services programs. Agencies are increasingly recognizing that sustainable program integrity cannot rely solely on iden tifying errors after they happen. Instead, leading organizations are focusing on prevention. Moving toward prevention means designing systems that align policy, technology, and operations. That alignment begins with sound policy and well-designed business processes, which, in turn, shape the technology that supports them. Emphasizing prevention also means reducing complexity, connecting workflows, validating information earlier, and giving staff better tools to manage programs effectively. Most important, it means viewing fraud prevention as part of system design rather than as a separate activity that occurs after services are delivered. As scrutiny of subsidy programs continues to grow, states will face increasing pressure to demonstrate both accountability and results. Wyoming’s experience with ECARES offers a valuable example of how those objectives can work together. The future of program integrity lies in smarter systems that identify risk earlier, reduce opportunities for error, and embed accountability throughout the entire program life cycle. When it comes to fighting fraud, the best defense is a well-designed offense. Reference Notes 1. https://acf.gov/sites/default/files/ documents/occ/Overview_of_2024_CCDF_ Final_Rule.pdf 2. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=7wbN05QgsqI 3. https://www.childcareaware.org/ price-landscape24

4. Better User Experience Can Improve Program Integrity Agencies often view integrity and accessibility as competing priorities— the assumption being that stronger controls inevitably create more admin istrative burden and make programs harder to access. The Wyoming experi ence suggests otherwise. In many states, legacy subsidy pro cesses still rely heavily on paper-based applications, manual reviews, and multiple system entries. These pro cesses leave applications vulnerable to mistakes. Families and providers frequently encounter delays, duplicate requests for information, or uncer tainty about application status, while staff spends valuable time on adminis trative tasks. By digitizing key workflows, Wyoming dramatically reduced process complexity in its child care program. Families can move more smoothly from determining eligi bility to searching for providers and enrolling in care. Providers can manage enrollments, attendance, and payments through a unified experience. Staff spends less time on repetitive administrative activities and more time supporting families, providers, and program operations. When system users—including beneficiaries and providers as well as staff—are able to complete tasks on their own correctly and efficiently, errors decrease naturally. A positive user experience is often overlooked as a program integrity strategy. Yet a system that makes the right action the easiest action can be one of the most effective ways of preventing improper payments.

for continuous oversight rather than periodic review. Platforms such as Wyoming’s CCX powered ECARES provide agencies with greater visibility into program operations through reporting, ana lytics, and administrative tools. Rather than waiting for annual reviews or audit findings, agencies can monitor trends and identify anomalies as they emerge, creating an opportunity for corrective action in the early stages. This visibility benefits providers and families as well. When stakeholders have access to accurate information about authorizations, attendance, and payments, accountability becomes a shared responsibility rather than an agency-only function. Transparency does not eliminate fraud risk, but it significantly reduces the likelihood that improper activity goes unnoticed. 6. Program Integrity Must Support Access, Not Undermine It Perhaps the most important strengthen—not restrict—access to child care. Child care remains one of the largest expenses facing many families, with the average annual cost of center-based care exceeding $13,000 per child. 3 Maintaining access to assistance can make the difference between stable employment and an untenable financial burden. The child care landscape continues to face significant challenges today, including workforce shortages, limited provider capacity, and affordability concerns. States must simultaneously expand access and ensure respon sible stewardship of public funds. Fortunately, as Wyoming’s experience demonstrates, those goals are not mutually exclusive. APHSA’s broader vision for early takeaway from both discussions is that integrity efforts should childhood systems emphasizes expanding access to affordable, quality child care while building inte grated systems that serve families across a range of needs. Program integrity plays an important role in that vision, but only when it is implemented in a way that supports

5. Real-Time Visibility Strengthens

Accountability Another lesson from the APHSA events was the importance of transparency. When information is delayed, fragmented, or difficult to access, problems can remain hidden until they grow too significant to miss. Modern systems create opportunities

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