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Feb. 27, 2023Jefferson City, Mo. |  By: AP

Child welfare agency to pay $1.8 million for overbilling

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — An organization that provides services for troubled youth and foster children in Missouri has agreed to pay a $1.8 million fine and to implement several compliance measures after admitting it made false claims about the services it provided, federal and state officials said Friday.

Great Circle, based in Webster Groves, admitted that it made false statements in billing the state for services to young people at its residential treatment facility, Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Reiter said in a statement.

Great Circle will not be criminally prosecuted and will continue to operate because it cooperated with the investigation and to avoid jeopardizing access to resident treatment services for its clients, she said.

Great Circle provides behavioral health services to children with special needs in the custody of the Missouri Department of Social Services, Children’s Division.

As part of the agreement, Great Circle admitted falsely claiming to have provided enhanced services for six residents between 2019 and 2020.

Great Circle also has agreed to implement a compliance and ethics program and to improve internal controls, compliance, policies and procedures.

The agreement came after a multiyear investigation involving federal, state, Webster Groves and Phelps County officials.

KVC Missouri, based in Kansas City, said will take over Great Circle on April 1.