DHS Commissioner confesses about safety, prevention of fraud in day care programs Monday

The commissioner of the Human Services Department (DHS) has testified to the Fraud Prevention Committee and the prevention of fraud and the state agency on Monday morning.

The interim commissioner of DHS, Shireen Gandhi, told the Fraud Committee of the Chamber of Limits that stops the financing of the child care program, also known as CCAP, payments until a day -center license is suspended or revoked “If The supplier intentionally provides false information on billing forms or sends fake presence records – if there is an accusation credible fraud. “

Between 2019 and 2023, the quality learning center in day care in Minneapolis had 95 violations to have dangerous objects around children and there are no records for 16 children.

Day care was placed on a conditional license for two years, but has received almost $ 8 million in CCAP financing.

The day care “Intisar” had a license revoked in 2021 and dozens of safety problems over several years – it has received almost 2 million dollars in CCAP.

The President of the Fraud Committee, Rep. Kristin Robbins (R – Maple Grove), asked during the meeting why some day care centers have incomplete children’s presence records, but they receive CCAP money.

“You can find that it is not fraudulent; Is it just a bad storage of records, but they are still paid, correctly? “The representative of Robbins asked to the Deputy Inspector of DHS, General Tom Johnson.

Johnson replied, saying, “Lady of the chair, correct. There are cases where they are simply not to keep records, but there is no suspicion that it does not actually provide services. “

DHS says there are certain reasons that allow them to stop payments, including the supplier that intentionally provides false information or if their license is suspended. Some state parliamentarians want the state regulatory authorities to have more power to stop CCAP when facilities have continuous safety problems.

“The statute says they can stop the payment under certain conditions; He does not say that he must, ”he said President of Kristin Robbins committee (R-Maple Grove).

This comes after 5 news of the eyewitnesses related to the day care centers – with long models of safety violations that have stretched over several years – you continue to receive state and county financing. Some of these violations include having hazardous objects around children or not carrying out the basic checks of the staff – both being a red flag for state leaders.

Recently, investigations began at two other children’s care units – one in which a child testified positive for Methand the other for an employee shouting and screaming a child around.

Currently now there are more than 60 active investigations in children’s care centers within the program.