WA AG says Somali child care providers are reporting harassment

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown said members of the Somali community have reached out to his office following reports of Somali child care providers in Washington being harassed and accused of fraud.

These reports occur as the federal government is investigating alleged billions in fraud in the provision of social services in Minnesota; most of the people who have been charged in that investigation are Somali American.

The situation has gotten attention from President Donald Trump, who has made derogatory remarks about Somalis, rattling the Seattle-area Somali community.

In recent days, right-wing influencers and others on social media have focused on Washington as another place where they say there are a large number of child care centers connected to the Somali community.

“Showing up on someone’s porch, threatening, or harassing them isn’t an investigation,” Brown said. “Neither is filming minors who may be in the home. This is unsafe and potentially dangerous behavior.”

If someone suspects fraud, “appropriate measures” can be taken to report those allegations and investigate, Brown said.

Brown said his office is in contact with the state’s Department of Children, Youth and Families, which regulates child care providers.

DCYF says that if you are concerned that a parent or provider is misusing child care subsidy benefits, you should contact the state Department of Social and Health Services’ office of fraud and accountability.

“And where fraud is substantiated and verified by law enforcement and regulatory agencies, people should be held accountable,” Brown said.

Brown encouraged people experiencing threats or harassment to contact the police or the attorney general’s Hate Crimes and Bias Incident Hotline at (855) 225-1010 or www.atg.wa.gov/report-hate.