GOP lawmaker calls for Trump admin to review Washington welfare programs as child care fraud allegations grow

Baumgartner announced he has sent a formal letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, urging both departments to conduct a program-integrity review of federally funded benefits administered in Washington state. “Washington families deserve to know their tax dollars are paying for real meals and real care, not padding the pockets of scammers,” Baumgartner said, calling Minnesota a “cautionary tale” and warning that fraud risks explode when programs rely on large networks of third-party providers and “pay-and-chase” enforcement.

In the letter, Baumgartner emphasized he is not alleging misconduct by Washington state, but is requesting independent validation that safeguards are working, or a clear roadmap for fixing vulnerabilities before the state becomes the next headline. “Minnesota is a cautionary tale for every state: when state authorities fast-track welfare payments with weak front‑end controls and lax enforcement, fraudsters will pounce. My goal is simple: get independent confirmation that Washington’s safeguards are working, and if they are not, fix the problems now rather than after a headline‑grabbing scandal.”

Baumgartner’s request lands as Washington is already facing rising public scrutiny over its child care subsidy system, which is managed by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF).

Independent journalists have been investigating allegations of “ghost daycares”—providers listed as licensed and active in state systems, but allegedly appearing nonexistent or inactive when visited in person. They’ve also reported that certain DCYF listing fields, like capacity and available slots, appeared to change during the course of their investigation.

KOMO News reported that the Washington State Auditor’s Office is finalizing an audit of a $770 million DCYF child care subsidy program, covering payments to more than 7,400 providers. DCYF linked the outlet to records showing 1,372 overpayments totaling $2,092,513 from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, many tied to missing attendance records and overbilled hours or days.

Baumgartner specifically asked for federal review of USDA child nutrition programs administered in Washington, including sponsor and site oversight as well as HHS programs, including Medicaid services and waivers (CMS), child care subsidy-related federal funding streams (ACF), and other programs heavily reliant on provider networks. He also asked federal agencies to cross-check Washington’s systems against Minnesota-style red flags, including low barriers to entry, weak documentation, reliance on post-payment review, rapid spending growth, and “recruitment” behavior such as templated documentation, kickbacks, or client-mill patterns.

The Congressman noted, “Recent developments in Minnesota highlight a recurring risk profile that is not unique to one state or one program: when large federal funding streams are administered at the state level through extensive networks of third-party providers, sponsors, subrecipients, or contractors—especially where enrollment is easy, documentation is limited, and payments are made before meaningful verification—fraud risks can scale quickly.”

Baumgartner requested a written response or staff briefing within 30 days, offering to receive sensitive details in a non-public setting if necessary.