Washington state child care providers are drawing renewed scrutiny after a viral video alleging widespread fraud at Minnesota daycares sparked a wave of online investigations across the country. The attention has now shifted to the Evergreen State, where independent researchers and online commentators are examining public records to identify potential irregularities in how state child care subsidies are being distributed.
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The focus intensified after a Seattle-based independent researcher, Kristen Mag, posted a series of findings on X suggesting that a disproportionate share of Washington’s licensed child care centers receiving state funding appear to be Somali-run. Mag claimed that roughly 10 percent of licensed centers qualifying for subsidies list Somali as their primary language, despite Somalis accounting for an estimated 0.2 percent of Washington’s population. She further alleged that many of these facilities do not publicly list full street addresses, raising questions about transparency and oversight.
Mag’s claims come amid heightened attention on Minnesota, where child care centers have become the subject of intense scrutiny by online investigators and independent journalists. In Minnesota, federal prosecutors and investigators have already uncovered major fraud schemes in recent years, including the Feeding Our Future case, in which hundreds of millions of dollars intended for child nutrition during the COVID-19 pandemic were stolen. A federal prosecutor recently suggested that as much as $9 billion in federal grants may have been misused in the state since 2018, a figure disputed by Minnesota officials.
Interest surged further after YouTuber Nick Shirley released a 42-minute video showing visits to Minnesota daycare facilities that appeared inactive while reportedly receiving millions in public funds. Although staff at at least one location said Shirley arrived outside operating hours and state officials stated inspections had not uncovered widespread fraud, the video fueled broader skepticism and inspired similar record searches in other states. In Washington, Mag examined the Department of Children, Youth, and Families database, filtering for facilities participating in the Early Achievers program that listed Somali as their primary language.
Follow-up reviews of the database show fewer centers than Mag initially reported—approximately 274 rather than 539—but still revealed gaps in publicly available information, such as missing addresses or operating hours. State records indicate that most of the reviewed facilities hold active licenses and have undergone recent inspections. Nonetheless, Mag’s posts gained millions of views and were shared by high-profile figures, including Sen. Ted Cruz and Elon Musk. While acknowledging she could not confirm fraud, Mag said she suspected at least some abuse of the system, a sentiment Musk echoed with a blunt comment alleging exploitation of state subsidies.[/read]