Washington State Auditor Pat McCarthy addresses issue of audit of child care subsidies

Olympia – The Office of the Washington State Auditor is finalizing an audit of the program that provides federal and state funds to subsidize child care in Washington. The Office has received several inquiries from the media and the public this week regarding this issue, in response to allegations of potential fraud. 

“Transparency and accountability are essential to public trust in government, and we work hard every day to build that trust,” said State Auditor Pat McCarthy. “Our work is independent, it is objective, and I encourage anyone who is interested in this issue to read our report when it is finished.” 

The State Auditor’s Office is auditing the Child Care and Development Fund, a $770 million program managed by the Department of Children, Youth and Families that made payments to 7,400 child care providers in Washington in the most recent fiscal year.   

That audit is part of the Statewide Single Audit, an annual audit that is scheduled for release in three months. It examines how the state uses federal funds in a wide variety of programs, including the CCDF program and many more. 

McCarthy also denounced a strain of prejudice in some commentary regarding child care subsidies. Some Somali Americans have been charged with fraud in Minnesota, and she noted the President and others have used that circumstance to unfairly malign the entire Somali community.  

“I want to be clear that prejudice and discrimination have no place in our public life. We follow the facts and hold government to the standards of the law – period,” she said. 

Media questions: Assistant Director of Communications Adam Wilson, Adam.Wilson@sao.wa.gov, 564-999-0799.