Two maps. One question Minnesota taxpayers deserve an answer to.
I used children ages 0–5 because that’s the group most likely to need full time daycare.
Then I mapped three things:
- Estimated taxpayer funding for childcare
- Number of kids under 5
- Average annual daycare cost
Here’s what stood out.
States like Florida and Texas have:
- More kids under 5
- Significant taxpayer funding
- Lower average daycare costs for families
Minnesota has:
- Fewer kids
- High taxpayer funding
- Much higher daycare costs
As a taxpayer, that raises a basic question...
If childcare dollars are meant to help real families afford care, why aren’t those outcomes showing up here?
Fraud in Minnesota’s childcare system isn’t just a criminal issue. It’s an outcomes problem.
When funding doesn’t lower costs, improve access, or make life easier for families, something isn’t working the way it should.
This isn’t about spending more.
It’s about whether the money already being spent is actually doing what it’s supposed to do.
I tried to pull the best data available. I’m not an activist or a politician... I’m a mom paying $21,000 a year for childcare in Minnesota, watching costs rise every year, and now watching fraud come to light.
I’m just trying to understand where the money is going and why families like mine aren’t seeing the benefit.
That feels like a fair question.