Michigan GOP leader seeks audit of $540M child care program

By Elyse Apel
The Center Square

Michigan’s Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt has requested the state’s independent auditor general investigate taxpayer-funded child care centers for fraud.

Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, sent the request to Auditor General Doug Ringler on Friday.

“Given the Whitmer administration’s disastrous record of oversight failures, I’ve asked the state auditor to discover if Michigan’s child care program is plagued by rampant fraud and abuse like we are seeing in other parts of the country,” Nesbitt said. “We must make sure these taxpayer dollars are being spent to help Michigan families, not foreign scammers. We cannot afford to wait until the money is all gone to start asking questions.”

This comes as other states, especially Minnesota, face national scrutiny for suspected widespread fraud in a number of different taxpayer-funded programs – including child care centers.

“Finding affordable child care is one of the biggest challenges facing families in Michigan,” Nesbitt said. “We must ensure they aren’t being fleeced by criminals like the taxpayers have been in Minnesota.”

Minnesota has been the epicenter of the scandal so far, though it is slowly spreading to other states.

So far, fallout in Minnesota includes federal funding cuts to day care centers and Gov. Tim Walz announcing he will not run for reelection this year.

In Michigan, the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential operates Michigan’s Child Development and Care Program. That program provides taxpayer-funded subsidies for child care throughout the state.

It receives significant funding from Michigan’s budget. This year totaled over $540 million in taxpayer support.