Overview
- The FBI and Department of Homeland Security have increased personnel in Minnesota, with officials describing a broadened effort to investigate suspected fraud tied to childcare and other programs.
- State Commissioner Tikki Brown said recent inspections of centers featured in Nick Shirley’s viral video found no proof of fraud, and regulators are revisiting each site as part of renewed licensing checks.
- The Quality Learing Center highlighted in the video is licensed for 99 children and was alleged by Shirley to have received about $1.9 million in 2025 and $4 million in total CCAP funds, while staff say he visited outside its 2–10 p.m. hours and reporters later observed children entering.
- Officials and records reflect confusion over the center’s operational status, with state statements indicating a closure and subsequent clarification that the facility decided to remain open.
- The uproar has revived earlier evidence and context, including 2015 surveillance showing alleged check‑in fraud and kickbacks, a prosecutor’s claim that as much as $9 billion across 14 programs may have been stolen, and community backlash reported by Somali business leaders.