[gpt3]
You are Samantha Carter, Chief Editor of Newsy-Today.com.
Context:
You are a senior newsroom editor with over 20 years of experience in national and international reporting. Your writing is authoritative, clear, and human. You explain significance, consequences, and context — while remaining strictly faithful to verified facts.
Your task:
Rewrite and transform the content provided in
DeWine and Kara Wente, the director of the Ohio Department of Children and Youth, shared what measures the state utilizes to combat potential fraud.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov. Mike DeWine held a press conference on Monday to address the state’s publicly funded child care amid allegations of fraud in Minnesota.
DeWine and Kara Wente, the director of the Ohio Department of Children and Youth, shared what measures the state has utilized to combat potential fraud.
- The state paying facilities based on attendance rather than enrollment
- Requiring verification through a PIN number with a photo confirmation or location-specific QR code
- Using monthly analytics to identify potential fraud
- Conducting unannounced health and safety inspections
- Providing the public with a tip line to report potential fraud
“Ohio takes allegations of fraud in our child care system seriously,” said DeWine. “We have built multiple layers of accountability into our system, and we actively encourage Ohioans to report concerns so we can investigate and take action.”
DeWine also addressed several claims of fraud that have been posted on social media, saying that the state is monitoring those claims.
One example DeWine addressed included a claim of fraud about a child care facility on state Route 161 in Columbus. Some of the claims pointed out that the Google Maps image of the address showed a tobacco shop rather than a child care center.
After investigating the tip, DeWine said the Google Maps image was not current, but rather from 2022. A day care center did open at that location in October 2025 and none of the children there are currently receiving public assistance, he said.
DeWine addressed another claim of fraud regarding the Somali Education & Resource Center. He said they previously received federal funds through a USDA program to reimburse child care centers for food. But after an investigation, the state suspended payment to the organization, then later terminated them from the food program altogether.
“Fraud does occur. Our job is to do everything that we can and constantly look for new ways to stop fraud,” DeWine said.
The conference came as Minnesota is under fire for allegations of rampant child care fraud, particularly among the state’s Somali residents.
The allegations led the Trump administration to freeze federal funding going to the child care sector in Minnesota, which owners and Democrats in the state said would cause major problems in an already struggling sector.
Last week, DeWine acknowledged that Ohioans are “rightfully concerned” about the allegations in Minnesota and that there is potential for fraud in the Buckeye State. He listed seven ways DCY combats fraud in the agency.
Ohio Rep. Josh Williams posted on X last week, saying he sent a letter to DCY, urging its director to increase the frequency of unannounced inspections of child care facilities.
The letter urges DCY to audit attendance records, immediately suspend or withhold any state payments to any facilities where there are indications of fraud and other measures.
DeWine said the agency received 124 referrals from the public in 2025. Over 60 of the referrals resulted in programs being required to pay back overpayments to the state and resulted in DCY closing 12 programs.
into a fully original NEWS ARTICLE for the News category on Newsy-Today.com.
Your article must address:
• What happened (based strictly on the source)
• Why it matters (context, implications, and significance derived from the source)
• What may happen next (scenario-based analysis only, never new facts)
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DeWine and Kara Wente, the director of the Ohio Department of Children and Youth, shared what measures the state utilizes to combat potential fraud.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov. Mike DeWine held a press conference on Monday to address the state’s publicly funded child care amid allegations of fraud in Minnesota.
DeWine and Kara Wente, the director of the Ohio Department of Children and Youth, shared what measures the state has utilized to combat potential fraud.
- The state paying facilities based on attendance rather than enrollment
- Requiring verification through a PIN number with a photo confirmation or location-specific QR code
- Using monthly analytics to identify potential fraud
- Conducting unannounced health and safety inspections
- Providing the public with a tip line to report potential fraud
“Ohio takes allegations of fraud in our child care system seriously,” said DeWine. “We have built multiple layers of accountability into our system, and we actively encourage Ohioans to report concerns so we can investigate and take action.”
DeWine also addressed several claims of fraud that have been posted on social media, saying that the state is monitoring those claims.
One example DeWine addressed included a claim of fraud about a child care facility on state Route 161 in Columbus. Some of the claims pointed out that the Google Maps image of the address showed a tobacco shop rather than a child care center.
After investigating the tip, DeWine said the Google Maps image was not current, but rather from 2022. A day care center did open at that location in October 2025 and none of the children there are currently receiving public assistance, he said.
DeWine addressed another claim of fraud regarding the Somali Education & Resource Center. He said they previously received federal funds through a USDA program to reimburse child care centers for food. But after an investigation, the state suspended payment to the organization, then later terminated them from the food program altogether.
“Fraud does occur. Our job is to do everything that we can and constantly look for new ways to stop fraud,” DeWine said.
The conference came as Minnesota is under fire for allegations of rampant child care fraud, particularly among the state’s Somali residents.
The allegations led the Trump administration to freeze federal funding going to the child care sector in Minnesota, which owners and Democrats in the state said would cause major problems in an already struggling sector.
Last week, DeWine acknowledged that Ohioans are “rightfully concerned” about the allegations in Minnesota and that there is potential for fraud in the Buckeye State. He listed seven ways DCY combats fraud in the agency.
Ohio Rep. Josh Williams posted on X last week, saying he sent a letter to DCY, urging its director to increase the frequency of unannounced inspections of child care facilities.
The letter urges DCY to audit attendance records, immediately suspend or withhold any state payments to any facilities where there are indications of fraud and other measures.
DeWine said the agency received 124 referrals from the public in 2025. Over 60 of the referrals resulted in programs being required to pay back overpayments to the state and resulted in DCY closing 12 programs.
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• Forward-looking content MUST use conditional language such as:
“could,” “may,” “is likely to,” “a possible next step,” “analysts expect,” etc.
• Never present speculation as established fact.
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