Several Somali-owned daycare facilities in Columbus, Ohio, including a cluster operating out of a strip mall, are now under scrutiny as ABC6 Investigates examines potential fraud tied to public childcare funding, signaling that concerns first raised in Minnesota may be spreading to other states.
The renewed focus follows a viral video by independent journalist Nick Shirley, who documented visits to multiple Somali-run daycare centers in Minnesota that were accused of fraud. Shirley’s reporting sparked national attention and prompted federal officials to take action. In the wake of that exposure, ABC6 Investigates reported Monday that it identified several Somali-owned childcare centers in northeast Columbus that are now being reviewed.
ABC6 Investigates did not name specific facilities or accuse any center of wrongdoing. However, the outlet noted unusual observations during its reporting, including the presence of a U-Haul key drop-off visible at the front door of one daycare center. As part of its investigation, ABC6 Investigates confirmed it has requested public records from Franklin County and the state of Ohio related to public funding, overpayments, and any potential fraud connected to the identified centers.
Ohio is home to the second-largest Somali population in the United States after Minnesota, with an estimated 60,000 Somali Americans living in the Columbus area, according to the Ohio Capital Journal. That demographic reality has intensified interest in whether patterns seen in Minnesota could also be present in Ohio.
The issue has already drawn the attention of Republican lawmakers. Ohio Rep. Josh Williams called publicly for a formal investigation, urging state officials to take aggressive action. In a post on X, Williams demanded that the Ohio Department of Children and Youth open probes into “all Columbus-area daycares suspected of potential fraud.”
“We need round-the-clock, unannounced inspections of all childcare facilities receiving public dollars to make sure not a single Ohioan’s tax dollars are being stolen,” Williams wrote, attaching a formal request letter. He added that what has happened in Minnesota is “almost certainly occurring in Columbus” and argued that Ohio should use every legal tool available to stop it.
The office of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine pushed back on the notion that the state is suddenly facing a new or growing crisis. A spokesperson told The Columbus Dispatch that the idea of a recent “surge” in daycare fraud is “not accurate,” emphasizing that such schemes have been known to the state for decades.
Dan Tierney, DeWine’s spokesperson, said Ohio already has “robust anti-fraud measures” in place. “If people are out there who could not contemplate that people were trying to defraud the public through day care centers, I understand it’s new to them,” Tierney said. “But it’s been known to the state for decades.” Tierney declined to respond directly to questions about allegations involving Somali immigrants.
ABC6 Investigates also reported new data from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services showing a 20 percent drop in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for non-U.S. citizens between 2024 and 2025. The number of recipients fell from 52,000 to 41,000 following passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, which restricted SNAP eligibility to certain groups.
The controversy is unfolding as federal authorities ramp up enforcement elsewhere. Following Shirley’s reporting, FBI Director Kash Patel announced Sunday that the bureau had surged personnel and investigative resources into Minnesota to dismantle what he described as large-scale fraud schemes exploiting federal programs.
With media investigations, legislative pressure, and federal enforcement converging, Ohio officials now face growing calls to prove that taxpayer dollars meant for children and families are being properly protected.
[READ MORE: Trump Targets Minnesota Fraud Allegations in New Year’s Eve Remarks]
