US EditionOhio GOP lawmakers demand daycare investigation
Ohio GOP lawmakers request the Department of Children and Youth to investigate Columbus day care centers amid unproven social media fraud claims following a Minnesota scandal.
- On Dec. 30, 2026, State Representative Josh Williams shared a letter to the Ohio Department of Children and Youth, signed by at least 40 other lawmakers, requesting an investigation and unannounced inspections of Columbus-area childcare facilities.
- Following viral social media posts, conservative sites raised parallels with Minnesota's scandal as social media and conservative outlets circulated claims linking local centers to the Minnesota daycare fraud scandal, with Williams writing `What's happening in Minnesota is almost certainly occurring in Columbus`.
- Inspection records show 87 children documented during a November 2025 visit, with fixable issues but no `serious risk` violations; state `Report Fraud` tool led to 124 cases investigated in 2025, including repayments and 12 program closures.
- In a separate letter to Director Kara Wente, 41 Republican lawmakers demanded tougher inspections, suspension of payments where fraud is found, and prosecutor referrals, while Governor Mike DeWine's office emphasized routine audits and investigations, with DCY not responding to requests.
- With roughly 285,000 children in licensed care and about 116,000 receiving state-covered tuition, Ohio spent $1.1 billion including more than $800 million federal funds, while HHS froze $185 million for Minnesota programs.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Ashland Source
DeWine outlines anti-fraud measures for state-funded childcare in Ohio
COLUMBUS —Ohio Governor Mike DeWine issued the following statement confirming anti-fraud measures currently in place to prevent fraud in Ohio’s publicly-funded childcare system: “People are rightfully concerned about what is happening with state-funded childcare facilities in Minnesota. These are the essential facts about what we do in Ohio: “There are almost 5,200 state-funded childcare facilities in […] The post DeWine outlines anti-fraud meas…
OH Gov.'s Office: Daycare 'Anti-Fraud Measures' 'Cost of Doing Business'
A spokesperson for Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) said that "robust anti-fraud measures" are "unfortunately the cost of doing business" as state Republicans call for investigations into Columbus-area daycares suspected of fraud.
RINO Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's Office Dismisses Daycare Fraud Allegations as 'Cost of Doing Business'
RINO Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s office has brushed off growing concerns about potential massive fraud in taxpayer-funded daycare centers, particularly in Columbus, which boasts the second-largest Somali population in the United States, as simply “the cost of doing business.” The governor’s office said that attempts to use daycare centers for fraud in Ohio have been “known to the state for decades,” and implied that those who did not think it wa…
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