by Steven Richards at Just the News
Amidst newer allegations of fraud in Minnesota’s federally-funded child care program, many were raised at least eight years ago by investigators who reported them to the state legislature.
Minnesota’s lead investigator for child care provider fraud told the state legislature in 2018 that there was pervasive fraud in the state’s Child Care Assistance Program–years later, daycare facilities that received funding from the program are again under scrutiny.
The Minnesota child care program vaulted to the forefront shortly after the Christmas holiday when a viral video appeared to show empty daycare centers in Minneapolis that were recipients of state grants. The online video, released by conservative independent reporter Nick Shirley, shows in-person visits to several licensed childcare centers in Minneapolis.
In a visit to one of the facilities that has garnered the most attention, Shirley’s footage shows no children or visible activity at the location, despite records indicating it is supposed to serve nearly 100 children and has received millions of dollars in state support, Just the News reported.
However, concerns about similar kinds of fraud identified in the viral video are not new in Minnesota. According to a report from Minnesota’s legislative auditor in 2018, concerns about widespread fraud in the state’s child care program were brought to both the legislature and state officials, with one fraud investigator claiming fraud rates could exceed 50% of all government funding.
The reporting comes amid heightened scrutiny of Minnesota’s government after multiple reports of widespread fraud rings in the Somali immigrant community, especially in and around the city of Minneapolis. For example, as of this year, more than 70 defendants have been charged in a meals program fraud scheme that cost taxpayers $250 million, Just the News previously reported.
The new scrutiny on Minnesota has prompted the Trump administration to suspend further funding, which it did on December 30.