Ohio overpaid publicly funded day care centers by $1.1 million in 2025, according to state records, and many of the centers have yet to return the money.
The Ohio Department of Children and Youth reported that 61 childcare facilities received payments based on inaccurate attendance records. Nineteen of those centers are in Franklin County, and the largest single overpayment — $204,000 — went to a now-closed facility on Columbus’ West Side.
State officials emphasized that overpayments are not necessarily fraud. Mistakes in reporting can result from paperwork errors rather than intentional wrongdoing. Regardless, facilities are required to repay any excess funds.
The issue comes amid growing national concern about child care fraud. Ohio received 124 fraud referrals in 2025. Of those, 24 providers lost state funding, 70 received corrective actions, and the rest were closed with no further action.
Lawmakers are proposing stricter oversight measures, including installing cameras in child care facilities to verify attendance in real time and giving the state auditor and attorney general expanded authority to investigate and prosecute suspected fraud.
The Ohio Department of Children and Youth conducted more than 10,600 unannounced inspections last fiscal year and began a 400-case random eligibility review in January, which is still ongoing.
