Government auditors in Democrat-dominated Washington State say that more than $1.3 billion in spending through the state’s childcare subsidy system cannot be verified. The audit, covering 2021 through 2024, revealed that the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) failed to maintain the necessary records to track federal childcare funds at the provider level, leaving a slew of expenditures and other payments unaccounted for.
Concerningly, the financial review found in 2024 that $416 million was unauditable, with $356 million in 2023, $268.5 million in 2022, and $293 million in 2021. The State Auditor’s Office (SAO) described the situation as “serious and troubling,” noting that it had to “disclaim” the entire program due to the lack of documentation.
Washington State’s childcare subsidy program is under a blistering spotlight after auditors said more than $1.3 billion in spending from 2021 through 2024 can’t be verified, with the Department of Children, Youth and Families failing to keep the records needed to track federal funds at the provider level. The State Auditor’s Office called the mess “serious and troubling” and even disclaimed the program, saying $416 million was unauditable in 2024 alone, after $356 million in 2023, $268.5 million in 2022, and $293 million in 2021. A separate 2025 audit piled on with $37 million in questionable payments tied to missing attendance records, overbilling and weak documentation, while DCYF admitted to $2 million in overpayments. Auditors say they can’t tell how much, if any, of the unverified spending was fraud, but with internal reviews finding overpayments in 67 percent of audits and critics blasting a “pay first, verify later” system, the agency is now facing a
📰 Via Thenationalpulse
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