DeWine confident Ohio will keep childcare money flowing despite federal review

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio has astir 8 weeks to person national officials that its childcare strategy is guarding against fraud — and that it should support getting national money.

“We person each assurance this will beryllium resolved,” Gov. Mike DeWine told reporters Wednesday.

The national frost happened past week aft a viral video from Minnesota accused Somali-run childcare centers of billing for children who weren’t really present. The Trump Administration past announced it was freezing each state’s early payments from nan Child Care Assistance Program.

Across Ohio, astir 100,000 children person astatine slightest portion of their daycare tuition covered by nan state.

DeWine and Kara Wente, head of nan Ohio Department of Children and Youth, opportunity Ohio tin proceed “at existent levels” for astir 8 to 10 weeks.

But DeWine said he wasn’t worried astir what happens aft that. He’s assured national dollars will commencement flowing earlier then.

He said nan authorities is already doing what nan Trump management outlined, for illustration paying accommodation based connected attendance alternatively of enrollment.

Related story: DeWine defends Ohio’s childcare oversight aft GOP calls for fraud probe

The Biden Administration had pushed states to usage enrollment during nan pandemic erstwhile attendance was spottier, but Ohio ne'er switched over.

Wente sent national officials a elaborate missive explaining Ohio’s safeguards, including an effort this summertime to guarantee families weren’t sharing their individual login accusation pinch providers. She besides explained really nan authorities clawed backmost $2 cardinal successful overpayments past year.

She said they thanked her for nan information, but she hasn’t heard thing much arsenic of yet.

Meanwhile, authorities Rep. Josh Williams, a Toledo-area Republican, says he plans to present authorities adjacent week to tighten Ohio’s childcare oversight strategy moreover further.

For example, a genitor must type successful their backstage login codification and person their photograph taken to motion their kid in, but Williams said those photos tin beryllium blurry aliases taken while wearing a disguise aliases different look covering.

“Our measure will straight reside immoderate of these concerns,” he said.

Williams, who is moving for Congress, besides plans to present another, much arguable measure successful February that would limit Ohio’s subsidized childcare to U.S. citizens.

Williams’ push to betterment Ohio’s publically funded childcare strategy besides followed a viral video. The aforesaid YouTubers who filmed successful Minnesota came to Columbus and suggested immoderate Somali-run daycares mightiness beryllium billing for children who weren’t really there.

DeWine was observant successful really he responded to questions astir Ohio’s Somali community, which is nan 2nd largest successful nan country. The politician said nan authorities is focused connected fraud, not connected immoderate circumstantial community.

“We don’t attraction who is committing nan fraud,” DeWine said.

He besides reminded group that daycares are not expected to fto strangers locomotion wrong — moreover if a video makes that rejection look suspicious.

“If it’s your kid successful there, you don’t want a random personification to sound connected nan doorway and beryllium capable to get in,” DeWine said.

Anyone who has concerns astir imaginable childcare fraud tin telephone nan authorities hotline: 1-844-234-KIDS (5437) aliases email: [email protected]

Last year, nan authorities received 124 fraud tips, and those cases resulted successful 12 childcare accommodation being unopen down.

As a statehouse newsman for Cleveland.com, I constitute astir each things Ohio authorities pinch a attraction connected elections, marijuana policy, societal issues, budgets, redistricting, nationalist pensions, migration successful Ohio and...