California awarded more than $18.2 million to a nonprofit day care operation that advertised more than 40 locations across 10 counties, though a Center Square investigation found only one licensed facility. That Bakersfield center was serving a group of no more than six children.

The William Law Foundation did not open its first day care until October 2026, according to Executive Director William Edwards. That came more than three years after the nonprofit received its award through the California Department of Social Services’ 2022 through 2023 General Child Care and Development Program grants.

CDSS records showed the foundation received the largest proposed award of any applicant during that grant cycle. The department did not explain how the organization qualified for such a sizable commitment despite having no experience operating child care programs.

“It's been a slow start,” Edwards told The Center Square during an interview at the Willverines Childcare Center in Bakersfield. CDSS spokesman Jason Montiel said the nonprofit had received approximately $2.2 million in startup funding, which Edwards said had already been spent.

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The foundation’s 2024 tax returns showed Edwards received at least $540,000, plus $180,000 in deferred compensation. Government grants totaling $1,051,434 were the nonprofit’s only revenue stream that year, meaning the executive compensation was apparently funded entirely by taxpayers.

Brian Mittendorf, an accounting professor at Ohio State University, reviewed the filings for The Center Square and questioned the government’s oversight. “On what basis did they think that this was going to lead to success?” he asked.

When The Center Square visited the Bakersfield facility on Oct. 14, 2026, site supervisor Sati Bachrun-Santillan said only one child was present. “The other five are sick,” she said.

CDSS records showed Willverines had an active license for up to 60 preschool children. Yet the center’s website used a stock image of smiling children that also appeared on the Long Beach Unified School District website and had been downloaded from Getty Images.

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The website also featured AI-generated promotional videos touting robotics, reading, pickleball, painting, gardening and guitar playing. The Center Square reported seeing no robots, guitars, gardening tools, or pickleball court at the facility, while Edwards said those offerings were intended for when more children enrolled.

Another AI video claimed the program was rapidly growing toward serving nearly 1,100 students on elementary school campuses and at churches. Edwards said he posted the videos before the opening to communicate his vision for the families he hoped to serve.

The foundation’s website declared, “Over 40 Locations to Serve You,” and listed Alameda, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco and Solano counties. CDSS confirmed that the foundation had only one licensed facility, the Bakersfield center.

Edwards acknowledged the nonprofit had never operated more than 40 locations. “It seemed like a good idea at the time when I had nothing,” he said, adding that he probably should change the website, though it remained unchanged more than a week later.

Edwards attributed the slow expansion to inadequate training, California regulations, and difficulty finding partners. He said proposed conversations involved the “Compton School District” and “Galt Housing Authority,” but he did not provide documentation supporting those claims.

The Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency found no correspondence with the foundation after an agencywide email search. Compton Unified School District spokesman John Stouffer said key departments were unfamiliar with Edwards or the organization, though he noted someone among the district’s nearly 2000 employees might have spoken with him.

Sam Brunson, a law professor at Loyola University Chicago, questioned whether Edwards’ compensation was comparable to salaries at similar nonprofits. He also raised concerns about whether claims involving 40 locations or 1,000 students were presented to California when the foundation applied for the grant.

Edwards said he received no salary from the foundation in 2025 or 2026, but he did not provide requested tax returns to verify that claim. He also said he contributed his own money, though the publicly available returns did not document contributions from him.

CDSS gave only a generic explanation for approving the award, saying applications were reviewed for eligibility. The department did not answer questions concerning Edwards’ compensation, the website’s location claims, its oversight efforts, or the experience required to receive grant money.

Edwards said the remaining $16 million is tied to enrollment and cannot be received unless the nonprofit serves more children. Even if that money remains unspent, Brunson said taxpayers should still question why $2.2 million went to an inexperienced operator serving six children at one location.

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