FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Suspicion of fraud in Minnesota appears to be just the tip of the iceberg. With fraud suspected in Ohio as well, state legislators are on the move. State Rep. Josh Williams, a Republican, is calling for immediate investigations into day care centers, specifically in the Columbus area.
On Tuesday, Williams sent a letter signed by dozens of other lawmakers to the Ohio Department of Children and Youth. The legislators are calling for “unannounced inspections” of daycare facilities that may be suspected of fraud in the Columbus area.
The letter, shared with The Daily Signal, emphasizes the “unannounced” nature, with such inspections described as “an essential tool to identify violations, deter fraudulent practices, and reinforce confidence in the oversight of publicly funded programs.”
“There have been widespread public reports alleging that certain childcare facilities participating in publicly funded childcare programs are fraudulently billing the State of Ohio for children who are not actually in attendance. These allegations raise serious concerns regarding program integrity, the responsible use of taxpayer dollars, and the overall credibility of Ohio’s publicly funded childcare system,” the letter shares.
The lawmakers speak of a further step as well.
“Taxpayer dollars must be protected, and entities found abusing publicly funded programs must be swiftly held accountable. Continuing to direct state funding to facilities suspected of fraudulent conduct is unacceptable, and the Ohio House of Representatives will act accordingly based on the findings and seriousness of this investigation,” the letter reads.
Williams also spoke to The Daily Signal about his aim in sending out such a letter, which is to get the executive branch to further use its authority. “It’s the legislative branch trying to put the onus on the executive branch to do your job and enforce the laws and regulations, which we think is lacking currently,” he said.
Getting to the bottom of such fraud, Williams stressed, requires “robust efforts” when looking into “suspicious” childcare facilities, with a focus on metropolitan areas. Better screening processes are also key.
Concern exists in Ohio because, as Williams put it, the state “is prime for fraud,” especially as it applies to Medicaid. The state representative spoke specifically of expanded programs involving in-house family members acting as aides.
Williams also wished to discuss a bigger picture, including as it applies to the Department of Government Efficiency.
The Ohio version of DOGE, he explained, is the state auditor, though the auditor cannot proactively probe for fraud, and has to do it in response to a call for action. This, Williams explained, is where “Ohio is lacking a little bit.”
DOGE’s aim to go after fraud, waste, and abuse at the state and federal level earned praise from Williams, who specifically cited President Donald Trump and called for such efforts at the state level. He also called out state Democrats who promote funding for a variety of “free” resources, including underperforming schools.
“That’s state tax dollars that could be allocated towards some of those programs to shore up the American dream for actual taxpaying Americans,” Williams added.
The state representative promises to continue following the issue, which also involved a discussion about who is alleged to be engaged in such fraud. Concerns abound about Somali communities in Minnesota.
“I don’t like to demonize any particular group of it, okay? But what we’re seeing is average Americans are not engaged in coordinated cross-level, cross-department type of fraud. It is a consolidated community that essentially has a code of silence and are actively participating in this style of fraud,” Williams offered.
“When it’s within a close-knit community that has a code of silence, that has their own cultural ideologies that are different than the American dream, it makes it prime for fraud, waste, and abuse.”
In addition to unannounced visits, lawmakers are also asking for audits into attendance records and billing submissions; to “immediately suspend or withhold any further state payments” to facilities “where inspections or audits indicate probable fraud”; refer cases to prosecuting authorities; provide the General Assembly with a summary of findings; and continued cooperation with the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services’ inspection programs and assets.
