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Committee questions YDC claims process and consultant costs; administrators describe staffing and intake roles
Summary
Legislators pressed the Youth Development Claims Administrator office about consultant fees and administrative structure; administrators said a private consultant performs claim intake and review, and that the office has four full-time staff plus hearing teams and outside consultants.
Members of the Fiscal Committee questioned the Youth Development Claims Administrator (YDCCA) and associated auditors on June 20 about consultant costs and the office’s structure.
Representative Leishman asked why a private consultant—referred to variously in the transcript as “Beryl Dana LLP” and “Veral Dana”—had been paid approximately $2.3 million in 2024 and more than $2 million in 2025 to perform work on claims. Paige Lorenz, an audit manager working on the report, explained that the consultant conducts intake on every claim received, determines whether a claim proceeds to the next stage, and can be involved in resolution proceedings. “From our understanding, Veral Dana is the contractor who reviews every single claim that comes to them with a complete date,” Lorenz said.
Jennifer Foley, the YDCCA administrator, told the committee the office currently has four full-time, home-based employees (including herself): a senior paralegal and two administrative assistants. The office also supports hearing teams—Administrator Broderick is a full-time employee and two part-time staff assist hearing teams—and uses outside consultants for claim review and resolution work.
Foley said salaries are tied to judicial-branch labor grades and steps; she noted the statute currently ties Administrator Broderick’s pay to a judge’s salary level. Committee members asked why the attorney general’s office could not perform intake and review instead of contracting to a private firm. Audit staff and YDCCA witnesses said the consultant had been involved with related litigation and the development of the claims administration process and that the Department of Justice uses the consultant as part of its intake workflow.
Committee members expressed concern about the scale of administrative and consultant costs and suggested that, over time, the attorney general’s office might develop sufficient expertise to reduce consultant reliance. Witnesses noted pending statutory and budget-trailer changes that could alter organization, reporting and responsibilities, and cautioned that some structural changes may follow passage of the budget.
The committee received the informational presentation and asked for continued monitoring of contractor use and administrative costs.
