Brooke Shirley, an independent journalist, described scenes she witnessed while helping her son, independent journalist Nick Shirley, investigate alleged fraud at Minnesota childcare centers as “mind blowing.”
Shirley, who traveled to Minnesota in June for a story on demographic changes and the growth of the Somali population, said they encountered residents repeatedly alleging abuse of government-funded childcare assistance programs. The investigation led to a viral video that has surpassed 1.7 million views on YouTube and more than 121 million views on social media platforms as of Monday night.
“The video only captures a fraction of what we observed during days of on-the-ground reporting,” Shirley said. “They are everywhere.”
Shirley highlighted the physical conditions at the facilities: “There’s snow on the ground, there’s no footprints. There’s no playgrounds. There’s no cars in the parking lot. All of the windows are covered up.”
She described a local resident featured in the video, identified as David, who has spent five years documenting suspicious operations by tracking reported revenues and comparing them with visible activity. “He’s been to lawmakers. He’s been to the Capitol. He’s been to Gov. Tim Walz’s office. Nobody listens to him,” Shirley said.
As a mother, Shirley stated she would never send her child to such conditions: “I’m a mom. Would I ever in my life send my child to a day care like that where you can’t even see in?”
The situation has drawn national attention. Attorney General Pam Bondi reported that the Department of Justice has been investigating the fraud allegations for months, charging 98 individuals — 85 of whom are Somali-descent — and finding over 60 guilty. FBI Director Kash Patel noted that federal authorities had already surged resources to Minnesota to dismantle large-scale fraud schemes.
Shirley said the revelations have sparked public frustration: “It’s taxpayers,” she added. “Every one of us work hard every day to make a living and we pay taxes. And where’s it going?”
