The Minnesota Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) provides financial assistance to help families with low incomes pay for child care. The purpose of the program is to provide good care for children while their parents work or pursue an education that can eventually help them to gain employment. An article posted on Minnesota.CBSLocal.com tells about a daycare owner who fraudulently received $20,000 from the Department of Health and Human Services and the State of Minnesota by inflating the number of children who actually received services through her childcare center. (Unfortunately, where there are benefits to be had, fraudsters are usually lurking close by.)
The story states that the daycare director and co-owner provided childcare services for many families who participated in the CCAP. She carried out the scam by submitting billing forms that incorrectly stated the number of children served through her daycare center. (Perhaps she figured if she bumped the numbers up a bit, no one would notice.)
Well, the government noticed and consequently, the 47-year-old woman pleaded guilty to stealing public money in the form of child care subsidies. No details were provided regarding her sentencing.
The intention of the CCAP is to help families gain economic stability, not provide a means for criminals to steal from the pockets of vulnerable citizens who are trying to make a better life for themselves and their children. The article states that more than 6,100 families in Minnesota are currently waiting to receive child care assistance. Let’s hope this fraudster gets the sentence she deserves for her illegal actions one that will help her to understand what it is like to have her dreams for a better life deflated.
Source: Today’s ”Fraud of the Day” is based on an article titled, ”Eden Prairie Day Care Center Owner Pleads Guilty to Theft of Public Money,” posted on Minnesota.CBSLocal.com on February 6, 2015.
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) A 47-year-old woman has pleaded guilty to stealing money in the form of child care subsidies, the United States Attorney’s Office announced Friday.
Khadra Abdisafad Hirsi, who was the director and co-owner of Ace DayCare Center in Eden Prairie, pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in St. Paul to one count of theft of public money.
