An investigation into Washington state's childcare subsidy program has raised new questions about oversight after several daycare providers receiving taxpayer funding were found to have few or no children enrolled, according to reporting by The Center Square.

The report examined multiple daycare operations receiving public subsidies and found cases in which providers continued to receive substantial taxpayer payments despite little evidence of active childcare services.

The findings have renewed attention on how Washington monitors the distribution of childcare assistance and whether additional enforcement is needed to prevent improper payments.

According to The Center Square, many Washington daycare providers receive significant taxpayer subsidies through state programs.

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During its investigation, the publication reported finding several providers with few, if any, children and at least one location that residents said had never operated as a daycare despite receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in public funding.

The report stated:

"Many Washington state daycare providers receive large taxpayer subsidies, but an investigation by The Center Square found several that had few, if any, children and at least one establishment that received hundreds of thousands of dollars despite residents at the listed address indicating it was not a daycare."

The publication also reported that state officials responsible for overseeing the childcare subsidy program have publicly maintained that there is no widespread issue with improper payments.

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According to the report, no state official has announced a formal investigation or statewide enforcement effort, although lawmakers approved reforms during the last legislative session.

One example highlighted by The Center Square involved a property in West Seattle.

According to fiscal.wa.gov, the location received more than $229,000 over a nine-month period between July 2025 and March 2026.

When a reporter visited the address, the resident reportedly denied that a daycare was operating there.

The exchange was reported as follows:

“Is there a daycare operated from here?” a reporter from The Center Square asked.

“No," the person who answered the door responded.

The resident also said there had never been a daycare at the address.

The investigation further reported that some daycare providers were receiving more than $20,000 per month in taxpayer-funded childcare payments despite no children being evident at those locations.

The reporting also prompted a response from Washington Attorney General Nick Brown.

Brown encouraged anyone who believed a daycare provider was being threatened or harassed by reporters to contact authorities or the state's Hate Crimes & Bias Incident Hotline.

His Dec. 30, 2025, press release stated:

“Showing up on someone’s porch, threatening, or harassing them isn’t an investigation. Neither is filming minors who may be in the home. This is unsafe and potentially dangerous behavior. I encourage anyone experiencing threats or harassment to either contact local law enforcement or our office’s Hate Crimes & Bias Incident Hotline.”

The Center Square argued that examining businesses receiving taxpayer funds is a legitimate part of investigative reporting and questioned why publicly funded daycare providers would not be subject to public scrutiny regarding the use of those funds.

The investigation comes as public assistance programs across the country continue to receive increased attention over fraud prevention and financial oversight.

Federal and state authorities have previously pursued cases involving Medicare, Medicaid, COVID-19 relief funding, food assistance programs, and childcare subsidies.

The Center Square's findings place Washington among several states where questions have been raised regarding oversight of taxpayer-funded childcare programs.

As of the reporting cited in the investigation, state lawmakers had enacted certain reforms, but no statewide crackdown or formal investigation into the providers identified by the publication had been announced.

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