OHIO — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine reaffirmed that the state has strong safeguards in place to prevent fraud in its publicly funded child care system on Monday.
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“Ohio takes allegations of fraud in our child care system seriously,” DeWine said. “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’s comments come as the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) announced that it has taken numerous steps to combat fraud in 2025 and will implement additional safeguards in 2026.
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He noted that various layers of accountability have been established, encouraging Ohioans to report concerns.
The DCY reported that it has received 124 tips from the public regarding potential fraud before Dec. 31.
In 2025, the DCY conducted more than 10,000 unannounced inspections at child care centers across the state, according to a spokesperson with DeWine’s office.
As a result of these inspections, 38 centers were closed and administrative hearings are ongoing for two additional facilities.
Part of the DCY’s efforts includes the implementation of an anti-PIN-sharing enforcement process, which aims to further secure the integrity of the child care system.
In addition to the tips already received, the DCY reported that 26 viable tips have been collected since Gov. DeWine’s Dec. 31 statement.
These tips are either under investigation or being actively followed up on by the department.
The department encourages the public to report fraud through its hotline and website resources.
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