During the State of the Union address, President Trump announced a “war on fraud” initiative, citing the scandal surrounding Somali-run daycares in Minnesota. But other states deserve scrutiny too.
Specifically, National Review looked into daycare programs in Washington State and found that Somalis are vastly overrepresented in childcare services relative to their share of the population. While this doesn’t necessarily indicate malfeasance, a deeper investigation found suspicious finances and operations in a number of taxpayer-supported entities, as well as limited transparency and government oversight.
To cite just a few examples, an entity registered with the state as dissolved received thousands in government funds, caretakers licensed for only a few children report hundreds of thousands in earnings or sales, and nonprofits receiving six-figure grants don’t even have working phone numbers.
While Washington State is home to some of the largest Somali communities on the West Coast, its approximately 15,000 residents of Somali descent represent a fraction of Minnesota’s estimated 76,000, according to recent U.S. Census Bureau figures. With more than 8 million Washington residents, individuals of Somali ancestry amount to less than a quarter of a percent of the state’s population. But they are significantly overrepresented in childcare-related services. According to a 2024 report from the nonprofit Child Care Aware of Washington, 6.7 percent of Washington childcare providers list Somali as the primary language. A database from the state’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) — which oversees childcare — shows that 249 of the state’s 6,857 licensed child-care providers list their “primary language” as Somali, about 20 times the amount that would be representative of the Somali share of the population.
However, the exact figures are unclear, since daycares can remove information about their operating languages from the state database. When National Review began investigating in December, the number of licensed daycares that publicly listed Somali as their primary language on the DCYF database stood at 283, while over 500 identified Somali as one of their “spoken languages” — but those numbers have fallen as the stories of rampant fraud in Minnesota grew into a national scandal. One nonprofit organization focused on childcare in Washington says it operates group communications with more than 600 Somali childcare providers and assistant teachers — and if that’s the case, then at least one out of 25 Somali-descended individuals in the state works in child services.
The growth of childcare services generally has been encouraged by the state. Washington State’s population grew by nearly 1 million people over the past decade, but childcare capacity remained mostly static, leading organizations such as the Center for American Progress to claim that a majority of the state’s residents live in a “childcare desert.” To address this, the state passed the “Fair Start for Kids Act” in 2021 to allocate more than $1 billion toward childcare-related initiatives, and it expanded the financial assistance available to childcare-related services. As a result, daycare is a lucrative business with limited oversight. The state subsidizes up to $4 per child per hour for small “family home care” providers, a classification that includes almost all Somali-primary-language daycares in the DCYF database; these facilities can be licensed for up to twelve children. At this rate, a year of full-time care for four children would bring in over $33,000 in taxpayer dollars, while watching a dozen children would gross $99,840 in annual subsidies alone. But some providers earn much more. Kismaya Family Childcare, for example, is licensed to care for nine children but reported upwards of $750,000 in sales in 2025. The state paid Kismaya just over $120,000 in 2025, but its business entity was administratively dissolved in 2023, according to the state’s Corporations and Charities Filing System (CCFS) registry, so it’s not clear where that money ended up.
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AMAC or AMAC Action.
Is anyone really surprised? Washington State is as blue as it gets, corrupt to its core. I lived there for 28 years due to work. The governor Jay Ensley was negotiating the public workers union contracts behind closed doors with no representation for the public. Endless bag of marbles to give the unions, just raise taxes. Then the unions give him their kickbacks and he gets re-elected. He had to be sued to make him stop. The current gov is no better. he was AG under Jay. WA state is having a race to the bottom with Oregon, New York and California to see who is the biggest turd in the septic tank
Why all the pussy footing over Somalis, as for their first spoken language, what happened to English, do they not realize they are not in Somalia anymore, Who does give a go to all that fraud, without facing charges, I have a feeling we only scratched the upper layer, dig deeper and the true proportion of theft and abuse will emerge. I don’t see any heads rolling and this is only one stall of the enormous sty.
Examine Somali Operations nationwide then & prosecute
DEPORT , DEPORT , DEPORT …
It is never ending, isn’t it. Tracking the money from the Childcare back to it’s Governmental source, should just be a matter of semantic’s. If the Governmental source is found negledgent, like not auditing as they should, they should be removed and prosecuted. Maybe I just ain’t gittin it, but, that sounds pretty simple to me
I don’t care about excuses, everyone involved with this scam need be deported or run out of office , and public life.
Why TF is the “government” involved in “daycare” in the first place??? If we don’t get a handle on this bullshit and start ELIMINATING BIG GOVERNMENT, we’re done!!!
Is there any Democrat run state that’s not ripping off the taxpayer? These people doing this to us need to be prosecuted for treason against the people. The political class has a fiscal responsibility to the people. The penalty under the common law is drawing and quartering for treason against the sovereign. Seems like a light sentence, considering!
So now Liberal/Sanctuary States are passing laws that make it illegal for a private citizen to inquire about the legitimacy of a business. It appears that the Democrats understand that the Curtain of Deceit is being opened to reveal the massive fraud they have perpetrated on honest working taxpayers and threatening investigators with prosecution is the best way to protect their criminal actions. This needs to be broadcasted to every person in the state of Washington so that they will make an educated vote during mid terms. This is not a Democrat or Republican Party issue. It is everyone’s issue. They are literally stealing our money and asking for more.
STOP ALL FRAUD.Prosecute,then DEPORT them. Truth,Logic and Common Sense !
I go by a local Preschool quite often and over past several years and I have never seen anyone in the building, adult or child. I have often wondered if it’s a legit PreSchool. They have a website filled with 5 star ratings but the write ups seem contrived. Is there a way to check up on this?
The democrat party and blue states are corrupt and rotten to the core. How much longer is the American taxpayer going to be ripped off by these corrupt and criminal organizations that operate under the guise of helping the public? Democrat heads need to roll, and Somali day care businesses need to be shut down and defunded immediately. Taxpayers are struggling mightily just to feed the kids and scrape by, with many maxing out their credit cards to do so. And here are these lowlife foreigners ripping them off for even more money, with many Somali’s funding terrorists! I am simply infuriated by it all.
Why do I feel like the whole world is eating greedily at the table of the American taxpayers every time I read or hear the daily news??
So sick of this…
The more we read about how taxpayers are getting screwed, the more disgusting it becomes. How many other 3rd world countries are doing this to us. These grants & non-profit org should especially be better scrutinized & audited every 6 months minimum. How much more do we as US citizens have to take.If the left wins the Nov primary, we can expect more of the same. Our country will no longer BE.
Where are the prosecutions? Has the federal govt. noted these people and stopped all monies headed their way? Obviously many many people involved in the fraud are know so why aren’t they jailed yet? The proof is there right alongside the money trail to terrorists in Somalia and Ilhan Omar.
Why does any government entity fund childcare? If you put your child in daycare, presumably you are doing it so you can go to a job. If you have a job, you get paid. If you get paid, you have money. If you have money, YOU CAN PAY FOR YOUR OWN &*% CHILDCARE. How many of these “families” with kids enrolled in these programs actually have someone who works for a living?
UNBELIEVABLE! SHUT DOWN EVERYTHING RUN BY SOMOLIES! THEY ARE NOTHING BUT CROOKS!!!
All samolis need to be sent back to samolia. Every state that has samolies is experiencing tremendous fraud, is that all they know??
Brandon brought them in to help them, not for them to get rich by defrauding the USA
For that they need to be sent right back to their country. No questions asked.
It is time for President Trump and the Federal government to clean house in the corrupt western part of the state of Washington. Starting with the governor and the majority of our house of representatives and senate. The new mayor in Seattle is turning that once beautiful city into a hell hole that people will no longer want to visit. On the east side of the state, Spokane is starting to turn into a mini Seattle and driving people away from that city as well. It is time the far left dems pull their heads out of their backsides as well as whomever else is greasing their palms.
Wouldn’t this coe under the RICO law? The FBI needs an Elliott Ness to lead this criminal enterprise.
This is not good. This needs to be stopped. I wish I could help, but I am unable to. However, I will pray for you all.
The astonishing thing about this article is that even with all the obvious red flags, there was no overseeing entity to deny them from getting funds! I blame those who were dishing out the taxpayer money indiscriminately. Can’t THEY be thrown in jail? (Or they could just get the money back… and then go to jail!)
It’s amazing that people from all over the world come to our great nation and are savvy enough to steal from the nation that gave them refuge. Deportation of millions to rid our nation of unwanted burdensome parasites is necessary and stop all immigration for at least a decade to allow the few that stay to have time to assimilate. May seem extreme, but the invasion and theft of our nation must be stopped. No wonder we are almost $40 trillion in debt.
These progressive states run by communists, set up programs so convoluted, no investigation is possible. For then they call discrimination. All these daycare canters have been set up for the Somalis and other foreigners. It is run by foreigners. And if anyone tries to investigate they shut down, or call it discrimination. There is no oversight and responsibility put on those running those daycares. They trust to give them money but make excuses when the websites are not being updated due to lack of competent employees. DEI will create that. The Washington legislature with the governor should put stricter rules on these day care funding. A billion dollars could have helped a lot of parents to pay for the childcare cost they were incurring. Either we make it legal without any fraud or we stop any subsidies to these daycares. Anyone who can make a half million dollars or more by having 8 kids 5 days a week. Or not have any kids is the crime of the day, every day in these communist states. Wake up people. You are working for the illegals every day you earn money. Stop this fraud. But like DOGE when they found the fraud with USAID and the politicians all screamed foul. The people went out to destroy Elon Musk. Just because he found fraud and bribery all over the world with this USAID and the politicians were/are getting rich. The same with this Save Act bill it’s not about people not being able to get an ID it’s about they want to continue with voter fraud to regain power. They want every one to vote. Which is just making your vote mean nothing. They are stuffing the ballot box with illegal votes. And there are more of them than the legal voters that would vote against them. They have been at it almost 20 years trying to destroy this country and Schumer has the audacity to say passing the Save Act is Jim Crow 2.0. No Chuck it’s destroying America and make her into your dictatorship. Where the people will be taxed to death till they bent to your mandates. The freedom loving country will be gone. If they can do this with the Somalis all over the country to bankrupt the states and the Federal govt. the rest is easy. Wake up America.
When it comes to blue Washington State politics, they’re not going to do anything about it. It is a Socialist state, and they are for the people who will vote for them. Their attitude is, who gives a F#$%, don’t like it, shut up. Trump administration should check into this.
Do what they do in their countries, chop the snakes head off . Problem solved.
We need someone to audit where our taxes are going and stop our arrogant politicians from giving Everything to people who feel entitled rather than those who have worked for it. Yes, I live in Wa
It has come to the forefront that today’s Democrat voters are themselves actual supporters of ALL the Waste Fraud and Abuse, all the illegals, the high crime ravaging ALL blue States and blue cities, and in favor of defunding law enforcement. They despise ICE, DHS, and the Border Patrol, and suffer from serious TDS, and many other anti-America Socialist and Commie beliefs, ideas, and agendas.
OTHERWISE, THEY WOULDN’T KEEP VOTING FOR ALL THESE AMERICA-LAST, ILLEGALS-FIRST politicians.
I think what the govt will find, is a very sophisticated network of that funnels back money to Somalia. We need to put a stop to this. Also, follow the money ref is some of this being funneled back to democratic Senators and representatives in the house. Then stop it, prosecute them, through them into gitmo forever.
Why are these people immune to an IRS audit?
This long account of the fraud, ends by telling we the people that this state is going to protect the fraudsters, by impeding the inspectors of their fraud.
When will the deportations begin, and for the naturalized citizens, revoking citizenship.We the people are tired of “investigations” which net 0.
Since FED grants are so readily exploited that is our weakness. Services within the states should start and end within the state. Stop the FED giveaway programs and reduce the ineffective FED bureaucracy. Each state can fight their own corruption without stealing from the rest of the country.
It seems that the Samolies are a cancer in America that need to be eradicated.
Start arresting these criminals!!!
Democrats can’t win without FRAUD, FOREIGNERS, AND CHEATING… This type of stealing from America is rampant in Maine, Oregon, Washington and Minnesota, and most probably all the Democrat run states.
Just because there is overwhelming evidence of FRAUD doesn’t mean there is fraud?!? SAY WHAT????
Communist Colorado needs to be looked at very hard also, I would love to see a big shake up here.
This thing with the Somalis is very well organized and the libers seem to support this corruption.Are there politicians in these areas getting payoffs to allow this to go on.I read somewhere that Ethiopia is involved in some way also.It’s time to find the”SNAKES”,cut off their heads and the rest will die.
Enough is enough, send all the pirates back to where they came from.
Although I am in agreement with you, you’re ranting on this platform is pointless. You’re talking to the choir. Write to your representatives in Congress, your local officials, etc., or voice your opinion on a democrat platform, where it may make a difference. God bless you.
My high blood pressure wouldn’t allow me to read completely through this article.
As a veteran and a retired senior, I’m watching my Social Security check get smaller and smaller each year because between my cost of living increase each year being outrun by inflation and my so called free insurance which is increasing in leaps and bounds every year, we seniors are getting to the end of our rope.
Meanwhile the govenment turns their heads while identities from foreign countries have figured out a way to steal from our system while they stand by and let it happen.
Why are we writing about this? Shouldn’t we be writing about how the government sent all these people to jail for doing this?
I’m sure some genius is gonna stand up and say, “Well one situation has nothing to do with the other situation.”
Wait till you’re old enough when you got the wade through your meds or your choices of food to see what you can afford.
Then I’m sure you’ll understand why I think they are related to each other…
Wow! This article is very long! I’m having to skim through it!
Why, I’m shocked. SHOCKED!!! (rolls eyes, smh, while grabbing MY wallet…)
What does Trump have to do with this fraud? Each attempt he makes to stop the FED funds going to the state fraud gets blocked by the judges. Essentially we have states stealing FED grant monies and they are protected by activist judges. You need to look further before you leap. Dumping Trump will end the sole effort to corral the fraud!
More Lering Centers?