Following Minnesota child care scandal, DoHS secretary says no fraud found in West Virginia

by Amelia Ferrell Knisely, West Virginia Watch
January 14, 2026

Following widespread allegations of child care fraud in Minnesota, a West Virginia official told lawmakers on Tuesday that similar issues haven’t been found here. 

The federal government sends money to states to subsidize the cost of care for low-income children. Many working parents across the state rely on the Child Care and Development Fund to afford child care; the average annual cost of care at a licensed child care center in West Virginia is more than $6,000 per child. 

“We haven’t found any fraud to date within the child care system. We are doing a lot of examinations internally, not just in child care but across all our programs,” Alex Mayer, secretary of the West Virginia Department of Human Services, told lawmakers during a meeting Tuesday at the state Capitol.

Mayer responded to a question from Del. Kathie Hess Crouse, R-Putnam, who asked if DoHS had found any evidence of child care subsidy fraud after what happened in Minnesota. A 2019 state investigation found that there was likely several million dollars in child care fraud taking place within Minnesota’s system linked to the federal subsidy program. 

Additional overpayment issues with Minnesota’s child care centers were flagged last year. 

In response to the fraud allegations, the U.S. The Department of Health and Human Services froze all federal funding for the child care subsidy program in five Democratic-led states, including Minnesota. A federal judge last week temporarily blocked the Trump administration from stopping the subsidies after the five states sued over the matter.

There is no evidence to support large-scale child care fraud nationwide. 

In West Virginia, some child care providers have said up to 90% of their enrolled children receive the subsidy, and centers that accept children on subsidies will bill the state for the cost of caring for those kids.

“It comes as no surprise to me that Secretary Alex Mayer reported no findings of child care fraud to date. West Virginia child care providers operate with honesty and integrity, often under extraordinary financial strain,” said Tiffany Gale, owner and director of Miss Tiffany’s School for Young Children, a licensed family child care facility in Weirton. 

Mayer said DoHS has implemented additional oversight on child care providers.

“We want to work with providers to understand how to make things better for them and with them,” he said.

Jennifer Trippett, owner of Cubby’s Child Care Center in Bridgeport that serves 460 kids, said, “Child care providers need the ability to operate their programs without excessive and unnecessary bureaucracy. … So they can stay focused on what matters most — caring for children and supporting working families.”

“Providers across the state work tirelessly to deliver high-quality care for the most vulnerable children in our communities. Secretary Mayer has now clarified that the recent increase in documentation requests was intended to verify potential fraud — and that none has been identified,” she continued. 

As West Virginia’s 60-day legislative session begins Wednesday, child care providers will ask lawmakers to address pressing issues with child care statewide. More than 25,000 children in West Virginia don’t have access to child care, and more than 150 child care providers have closed their classrooms over the last year.

Last year, while some state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle pushed for child care expansion, a number of child care measures failed to get up for a full vote in the GOP-led Senate and House of Delegates. 

“While we are not surprised by [Mayer’s] report, it does not negate the very real issue facing our state: West Virginia has consistently disinvested in child care infrastructure,” Gale said. “Since 2017, state investment has dropped sharply — from roughly $11 million annually to about $3 million annually by 2021, where it has remained through 2024. This dramatic reduction has occurred even as the cost of care, workforce shortages and inflation continue to rise.”

This session, child care providers plan to ask lawmakers to increase the amount for its child care subsidy to align with the cost of providing care. They’d also like to see the Legislature pass a “child care workforce scholarship act” that establishes child care scholarships for all child care employees to help with training and retention. 

“Child care is the backbone of our economy. When we defund child care, we destabilize families, employers, and entire communities,” Gale said, adding that changes this session are essential to the industry. 

West Virginia Watch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. West Virginia Watch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Leann Ray for questions: info@westvirginiawatch.com.