(File photo: Getty Images)
The leader of Ohio’s child welfare watchdog agency assured lawmakers this week that while the system the state uses to inspect facilities is constantly evolving, its fraud protections are already in place.
Ohio Department of Children and Youth Services Director Kara Wente also told the Ohio House of Representatives’ Committee on Children and Human Services that she supports one of two bills aimed at tightening regulations on child welfare agencies.
In the wake of child welfare fraud allegations in Minnesota drawing the attention of federal officials, states like Ohio have defended their own systems to assure state residents that fraud within the system is uncommon.
“This work is ongoing,” Wente told the committee this week. “We review data monthly. We conduct daily inspections. We perform annual and random eligibility reviews. We investigate referrals. We recover overpayments. We enhance safeguards as needed.”
Wente came to the committee a week after introducing two bills, both of which aimed to augment law enforcement powers for state agencies that investigate child care facilities accused of fraud.
Ohio House Bill 647 is a bill that Wente has already expressed support for at a news conference with his co-sponsors, state Rep. Phil Plummer, R-Dayton, and Rep. Thomas Young, R-Washington Twp.
Another bill, Ohio House Bill 649, sponsored by Republican state representatives Josh Williams and DJ Swearingen, also seeks to further regulate child welfare enforcement through state agencies such as the Ohio State Auditor and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost testified in support of both bills, saying he shared concerns about “fraud, waste and abuse.”
“While the Department of Children and Youth Services investigated these claims, additional safeguards are warranted to maintain the integrity of these services,” Yost wrote.
In a statement, he called on the commission to “carefully consider” the role of state agencies involved in child welfare investigations.
“Regardless of the Legislature’s decision, it will be most helpful if each participating agency is clear about the responsibilities assigned to it under the bill,” Yost wrote.
Williams directed his comments to the Ohio Department of Children and Youth Services when introducing his bill last week.
He said the agency has not provided all information about fraud investigations and other child care issues the agency has conducted or is conducting.
The department told Williams, and confirmed to the Capital Journal, that it denied some of Williams’ public records requests because some investigations were still ongoing and other information would have identified him even in cases where fraud was not detected.
The department’s latest report shows that in 2025, 124 cases were referred to the department on suspicion of fraud, and a total of 24 cases resulted in the elimination of state funding for publicly funded child care facilities.
The agency said 100 of the remaining investigations found no intent to commit fraud, and some did not require further action by the department.
A total of $2.5 million was identified in “overpayments.”
Wente explained in detail to the committee this week the difference between “overpayments” and “fraud” in relation to child care facilities.
Most importantly, the difference is one of intent and deliberate action to take more money than is appropriated for the facility.
“When we talk about overpayments, it means you made a mistake, it could have been paperwork,” Wente said.
“This means you won’t be able to keep the money, you’ll still have to pay it back… but we’re not going to take action on the supplier contract or license.”
Last week, HB 649 caused a stir in the committee because Williams proposed taking photos of children entering child care facilities so that they could be stored and verified through the Department of Children and Youth Services database.
Both Democrats and Republicans on the committee expressed concern about the idea of storing photos of children, although supporters of the bill insisted that the photos would be kept securely and not be public records.
Wente, asked this week about the proposal, said the system used for verification is “very secure” and has not experienced any breaches.
But she also said that the sheer number of children currently in child care, more than 100,000, would mean a significant workload for child care center staff.
She said the department may need additional tablets to electronically check in children, which would require more funding from the department’s budget.
“There have been some minor tweaks, but nothing we couldn’t make,” Wente said.
However, the director did not answer the committee’s question whether she supported the idea of taking and storing photos of children, rather than adults, as is currently the case.
During Wente’s time, the Committee for Children and Social Welfare also discussed other bills related to child care, which have been adopted or are to be considered in other committees.
The director expressed support for a bill that would exempt child care providers already licensed by the federal Department of War to serve military families from separate state licensing requirements.
“We see this as greater access for children and families and we want to support that in any way we can,” Wente said.
A measure passed as part of the state’s most recent operating budget created a “child care credit program” designed to share child care costs among participating employers, employees and the state.
While the bill was supported by Wente and the committee chairwoman, state Republican Andrea White, both said the program has had implementation issues due to its status as a pilot program.
White said the fact that the program is only funded for one year “actually discourages people from using it,” which is why she supported creating more funding for the program in HB 647. According to Wente, 132 children are currently enrolled in the program.
“There has been a lot of interest from companies, but the annual (funding) issue has been a problem because they feel like as soon as they start using it with their employees, it will be taken away from them,” Wente said.
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