Washington’s Somali-Run Daycare Scandal Raises Serious Questions About Oversight, Accountability, and Taxpayer Trust
Budget & Spending
December 30, 2025

Washington’s Somali-Run Daycare Scandal Raises Serious Questions About Oversight, Accountability, and Taxpayer Trust

A major fraud scandal involving taxpayer-funded daycare and healthcare organizations serving Minneapolis’s Somali community is now raising serious concerns in Washington state. Following an investigation by Ryan Thorpe and Christopher F. Rufo for City Journal and an exposé by citizen journalist Nick Shirley about widespread fraud in Minnesota, evidence is emerging that the same kind of abuse of public funds may be happening here — quietly, pervasively, and with little apparent oversight.

City Journal had documented how millions of taxpayer dollars in Minnesota were allegedly funneled through daycare and healthcare organizations that existed largely on paper, served few — if any — clients, and operated for years with minimal scrutiny from state regulators. Shirley’s video helped revive and expose that long-running, controlled catastrophe to a broader audience. Not long after his investigation gained national attention, Washington residents began noticing disturbing similarities closer to home.

The first major red flag surfaced when Seattle radio host Ari Hoffman revealed that several Somali-run childcare facilities receiving taxpayer funds in Minnesota were also making maximum political contributions to Somali candidates running for office – in Washington state.

Soon after, reporting uncovered another troubling pattern: most Somali-run childcare facilities in Washington do not list a physical street address in public records.

The situation escalated further on December 29, when Center Square reporter Carleen Johnson personally visited four taxpayer-funded, Somali-run daycare centers in Federal Way. At all four locations, she found no children present but did find workers who were unwilling to answer any questions.

Another outlet claims to have visited 12 facilities, only finding children at one, and was nearly attacked in the process.

Some have attempted to dismiss this as a holiday-related issue, but that explanation does not hold up. The facilities in question listed themselves as open on their websites and have staff working. Also, many daycares across Washington and the country remain open during this period, particularly in communities that do not celebrate Christmas.

Taken together, these facts raise a simple but urgent question: how is this allowed to happen?

The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Family Services (DCYF) is responsible for administering and overseeing the childcare funding flowing to these organizations. The agency is led by Tana Senn.

So far, there has been no clear public explanation from DCYF. There has been no announcement of emergency audits, on-site inspections, or enforcement actions. Once again, it appears that journalists — not regulators — are uncovering problems that should have been obvious to the state long ago.

Lawmakers also share responsibility. Oversight and authorization of these childcare programs fall under several powerful legislative committees, including the House Early Learning & Human Services Committee chaired by Steve Bergquist, the Senate Early Learning & K–12 Education Committee chaired by Lisa Wellman, and the House Appropriations Committee chaired by Timm Ormsby.

As these revelations continue to surface, Governor Bob Ferguson appears more focused on public photo opportunities with members of the Somali community than on addressing what increasingly looks like systemic abuse of taxpayer funds.

At the same time, the governor recently announced his support for a state income tax — a proposal Washington voters have rejected ten separate times — and included it in his budget.

This comes after Ferguson signed a record number of tax increases earlier this year. Now, as evidence mounts that the state cannot adequately oversee the billions of dollars it already collects, he is asking taxpayers to provide even more.

Before lawmakers demand another dollar from working families, Washington must first get to the bottom of this scandal immediately. Everyone involved — from fraudulent operators to government officials who looked the other way — must be held fully accountable. And the state must stop wasting taxpayer money on programs that lack even the most basic transparency and oversight.

Until that happens, any calls for additional tax hikes to fund failures like this should be rejected outright.

 

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