Minnesota's Child Care Centers: What Really Happened?

A recent video stirred up quite a bit of controversy in Minnesota. It claimed that several child care centers, which receive public funds, were not actually providing services. This sparked allegations of fraud and caught the attention of many. However, state officials have a different story to tell. After watching the video, state investigators decided to check things out for themselves. They visited nine of the child care centers mentioned in the video. What did they find? According to them, these centers were operating just fine. Children were present in eight of the nine locations during the inspections. One center didn't have any kids because it hadn't opened yet. The state also shared how much money each of these centers received from Minnesota's Child Care Assistance Program last year. The amounts varied, with some centers getting as little as $471, 787 and others receiving as much as $3. 68 million. This program helps around 23, 000 children and 12, 000 families in Minnesota every month. It's important to note that the program gets a lot of support from the federal government.Now, here's where things get a bit more complicated. The state agency is looking into four of the nine facilities, but they haven't said which ones or why. They also didn't specify which center didn't have children during the inspections. One center, Mako Child Care, has been closed since 2022. The state agency wants everyone to know that they are committed to stopping fraud and protecting children. They also want to support families and make sure these essential services keep running smoothly. Meanwhile, CBS News did its own investigation and found that most of the centers mentioned in the video have active licenses. They also found some violations related to safety, cleanliness, and staff training, but no evidence of fraud. This video is just one part of a bigger issue. There have been several fraud scandals in Minnesota over the years. Recently, federal prosecutors have charged dozens of people with defrauding state programs meant to help children and seniors. On December 29th, Department of Homeland Security agents conducted a large-scale investigation in Minneapolis. They were expected to inspect over 30 sites that day.