Records reveal Minnesota's long history with day care fraud warnings
CBS News••general
Key Points:
- A viral video by YouTuber Nick Shirley alleges widespread fraud in Minnesota's Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), claiming centers bill for children not present, though these broad claims remain unproven.
- Federal and state audits over the past decade reveal Minnesota has struggled with oversight of attendance records, leading to overpayments and increased risk of fraud in CCAP.
- A 2025 federal audit found errors in 11% of sampled payments and recommended stronger monitoring, with Minnesota's Department of Health and Human Services agreeing to expand oversight programs.
- Past investigations uncovered $5-6 million in proven fraud from 2013 to 2018, but challenges remain in evidence quality and comprehensive fraud prevention, prompting calls for electronic attendance tracking
