Oklahoma Child Care Fraud Under Fire | Oklahoma City News

Oklahoma’s child care subsidy program is under fire after a $500K overpayment scandal exposed sloppy oversight — and worse, a chillingly lax approach to prosecuting fraud. A damning report by the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency reveals that hundreds of thousands of dollars were lost due to parents submitting false info, yet DHS rarely refers cases to prosecutors — even when guilt is admitted. While Oklahoma’s system differs from Minnesota’s notorious $4M daycare scam, the same loopholes could let fraud fester. LOFT demands DHS refer all qualifying fraud cases to law enforcement and create whistleblower protections — a move lawmakers are now debating as they shape next year’s budget. DHS says it’s serious about fixing this — but admits it’s stretched thin. One lawmaker challenged them: “Why didn’t you ask for more money before?” The agency says it’s reviewing its needs — and promises to keep fighting back. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/3e187081846f62d2