ATLANTA - On Thursday, April 8th, 2021, former Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) Child Services Consultants Tiffany Whigham and Maranda Powell were indicted by a Fulton County Grand Jury for falsifying multiple inspection reports for childcare facilities. 

DECAL Child Care Services are responsible for supporting licensed child care learning centers and family child care learning homes through monitoring, technical assistance and training to assure safe and healthy environments and to improve the quality of services to children. Child Services Consultants are responsible for conducting two unannounced visits each year to these child care facilities each year. 

In Spring 2019, DECAL discovered that Whigham and Powell were not conducting their visits, despite inspection reports existing for visits that never took place and travel reimbursement being claimed. A subsequent investigation revealed that Whigham and Powell had forged multiple details of the inspection reports, including signatures for the program officials.

Powell is being charged with four and Whigham is being charged with two counts of False Statements and Writings. If convicted, this crime is punishable by one to five years in prison, a fine not to exceed $1,000.00, or both.

The case was initially referred to the Office of the State Inspector General (OIG) by DECAL. OIG Investigators Jonelle Vernon and Roy Williamson led the investigation and Assistant Attorney General Blair McGowan is prosecuting the case.