North Carolina state regulators have found that a nonprofit run by the wife of Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, Yolanda Hill, must repay over $132,000 for disallowed expenses in a federally funded child care meal program. The Department of Health and Human Services conducted a compliance review of Balanced Nutrition Inc., where Hill is listed as owner and chief financial officer. The review revealed issues with paperwork, filing valid claims, and accurately reporting expenses. The program warned Hill and other leaders to address these deficiencies promptly or face disqualification from future participation.
State officials disclosed that Balanced Nutrition also owed $24,400 in unverified expenses reimbursed to child care providers. Additionally, the nonprofit was found to have generated $107,719 in ineligible claims during the first three months of the year for administrative and operating activities. The details of these disallowed costs, attributed to “administrative labor” and “operating labor,” were not provided in the records. The compliance review highlighted that Balanced Nutrition should have disclosed and received approval for Hill’s daughter working for the nonprofit. The owed amounts and program disqualification proposal can be appealed.
Tyler Brooks, the lawyer representing Balanced Nutrition and Hill, questioned the review’s timing and accused the organization of being targeted due to Hill’s relationship with Robinson. Brooks alleged that “political bias” influenced the compliance review process. Program leaders raised concerns about difficulties in obtaining documents and meeting with Balanced Nutrition leaders. The Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the program, is part of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration. Cooper is term-limited, and Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein is running against Robinson for governor in the upcoming election.
Balanced Nutrition has received approximately $7 million in government funding since 2017, while paying out at least $830,000 in salaries to Hill, Robinson, and other family members, based on tax filings and state documents. Robinson, in his memoir, credited the operation with providing financial stability to his family, enabling him to transition from a manufacturing job to a career in politics. Programmed helped child care centers and homes qualify for meal programs, file reimbursement claims, and maintain compliance with program standards. The nonprofit received a share of the centers’ reimbursements for its services.
The compliance review raised concerns about lax paperwork, invalid claims, and failure to accurately report expenses at Balanced Nutrition Inc., prompting state regulators to request repayment of disallowed funds. The nonprofit, which received government funding for child care meal programs, was found to have significant ineligible costs related to administrative and operating activities. The review also highlighted the lack of disclosure and approval for Hill’s daughter working at the nonprofit. A lawyer representing Balanced Nutrition and Hill criticized the review process, alleging political bias and challenging the timing of the investigation. The findings have implications for the organization’s future participation in the program.
