Ohio GOP Gov. Mike DeWine says the state has strong safeguards in place to prevent fraud in its publicly funded child care system, responding to calls from Republican lawmakers for a review following viral allegations that originated in Minnesota.
Cleveland.com reported that the issue spread to Ohio after online videos questioned billing practices at Somali-run child care centers in Columbus, home to the nation's second-largest Somali community.
The same content creators previously made similar claims in Minneapolis, where a video alleged that day care centers were billing the government for children who were not in attendance.
"If they refuse to comply, they can expect a subpoena," state Rep. Josh Williams, a Republican from the Toledo area, wrote on X as two-thirds of Ohio House Republicans called for a review of the state's child care oversight.
Williams told Newsmax on Friday he is calling for tougher oversight and more frequent, unannounced inspections of Ohio's state-funded child care centers.
DeWine rejected comparisons between Ohio and Minnesota, saying Ohio's system relies on multiple layers of verification and enforcement.
"People are rightfully concerned about what is happening with state-funded child care facilities in Minnesota," DeWine said. "Ohio's system, however, is built differently."
Ohio has nearly 5,200 publicly funded child care providers serving about 185,000 children on a typical day.
DeWine acknowledged that scale creates risk. "With a system that large, there is certainly the potential for fraud," he said.
Central to Ohio's approach is paying providers based on attendance rather than enrollment. Parents must check children in using a personal identification number with a photo or QR code, a process DeWine said makes it harder to bill for children who are not physically present.
"Paying by attendance means the state only reimburses centers for children who were actually there," DeWine said.
The state also conducts unannounced inspections, shares billing data across agencies to flag irregularities and accepts fraud tips from the public.
DeWine spokesman Dan Tierney said referrals are common. "We get referrals all the time, and we want people to make referrals," he said.
According to the governor's office, Ohio received 124 fraud referrals in 2025. More than half resulted in repayments, and 12 child care programs were shut down.
Additional steps include cracking down on shared check-in PINs, tightening definitions of part-time and full-time care and limiting cases where children attend multiple providers.
"Children may attend two providers only when care needs cannot be met by one," DeWine said, noting that more than 900 authorizations were ended after a recent review.
The issue gained national attention after federal administrators froze child care funding in Minnesota while reviewing oversight practices there.
President Donald Trump described most of the fraud in that state as originating from Somalis who entered the U.S.
Even with safeguards, DeWine's office said some level of fraud is unavoidable.
"If you've got a grocery store, you're going to have to deal with shoplifting," Tierney said. "You want your number to be as close to zero as possible, but that's probably never going to happen."
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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