As fraud scandals rattle the American Midwest, Republican Ohio state Rep. Josh Williams has announced that he and fellow Republican Ohio state Rep. DJ Swearing have introduced legislation to prevent fraud at daycare centers receiving state taxpayer dollars. “If you are taking taxpayer money, you will provide attendance, prove services, improve compliance, or you will lose funding and face potential prosecution if we find waste, fraud or abuse,” Williams said at the Thursday press conference. Attorney General Dave Yost was also present to lend his support. Fraud Concerns Spread After large-scale fraud at childcare centers was exposed in Minnesota, concern spread to Ohio. In response, Williams called for immediate investigations into the publicly-funded childcare system in Ohio, as The Daily Signal previously reported. On Dec. 30, 2025, Williams led dozens of other state representatives in a letter to Director of Children and Youth Kara Wente emphasizing a need for unannounced visits to daycare centers. Williams’ and Yost’s press conference comes after Republican Gov. Mike DeWine gave remarks during a press conference of his own last week, as well as appeared on a podcast. When asked by The Daily Signal if he believed DeWine was doing enough, Williams spoke about the executive branch not using all of its authority to combat fraud. “I think the executive agency, [the Department of Children and Youth], has more power than they’re using. Speaking with DCY they made it perfectly clear that they get a ton of pushback from providers when they try to provide additional oversight,” he said. “You can just imagine, unlike a legislator who is elected by the people, or attorneys general, or auditors, they get a tremendous amount of pressure, they get accusations, ‘You’re only doing this to me, you’re only doing it for these particular reasons,’ and it puts a strain on that relationship of the providers.” Williams still expressed hope about the role for the department, however. “Now, I mean even my letter, DCY appreciated, because they said, ‘Now we can tell providers, when we go and do additional unannounced visits, the reason we’re doing it is because of Representative Williams,'” he offered, adding that “it took the pressure off of [the department].” Williams argued his bill will standardize enforcement so that “no one can complain about the oversight because it’s a uniform rule by the legislature across the state of Ohio.” New Legislation to Combat Fraud Williams unveiled his legislation, The Childcare Fraud Prevention Act, to combat fraud at Thursday’s press conference The “widespread fraud in Minnesota,” Williams said, showed the state “was turning a blind eye to fraudsters ripping off the American people,” and inspired the legislation. This bill, Williams shared, came “in response to an overwhelming request for better oversight of our publicly funded childcare system in Ohio.” The legislation “has a very simple purpose,” Williams said. “If the government is taking money from Ohio taxpayers and using it to fund childcare, the government has a moral and legal obligation to protect that money and protect the children tied to those state funds.” I am proud to be partnering with Representative @DJSwearingenOH and Attorney General @DaveYostOH on this incredibly important piece of legislation.We owe it to Ohio's citizens to be good stewards of their tax dollars and make sure they aren't being stolen by fraudsters.The…— Rep. Josh Williams (@JoshWilliamsOH) January 15, 2026 What’s in the Bill? As Williams explained about his bill, it will: Install cameras with a clear line of sight to both the exterior and interior of every entrance; Install cameras in general childcare areas, excluding restrooms, changing areas, administrative offices, and other private spaces; Retain video recordings for a minimum of 60 days; Provide the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) with instant access to live and stored video for attendance audits, administrative oversight, and child safety concerns; Utilize a secure system developed by DCY to conduct and log visual attendance audits; and Face immediate suspension or termination of public funding upon credible suspicion of waste, fraud, or abuse. Cases of fraud are turned over from the Department of Children and Youth, but may be referred to the attorney general’s office for prosecution. An “enforcement pipeline,” Williams explained, “ensures that fraud is not quietly handled internally like we’ve seen, and not forgotten or swept under the rug because the department or the administration does not want to have a black eye or appear to demonize a particular community or group.” Williams also expressed concerns that the system currently in place with its safeguards is not catching fraud, pointing to public tips following videos from citizen journalists, as well as questioning how much fraud is actually taking place that is not caught. Williams argues his bill can more efficiently catch fraud. “Ohio must shift from a reactive enforcement mechanism to a preventative enforcement mechanism using technology, transparency, and immediate consequences so the system cannot be gamed or exploited in the state of Ohio,” Williams stated. Williams claimed his bill, “attacks fraud at the root by making attendance reporting verifiable, audit friendly, and enforceable in real time.” The shutdown of money when fraud was detected was a provision that Williams stressed was “the difference between real enforcement and political messaging.” Yost Welcomes the Bill “This bill is welcome because my office is, in many ways, a creature of statute,” Yost said upon his turn to give remarks. “We have the authority that is granted to us by the legislature, and we do not have other authority we might wish to have,” Yost explained. Yost detailed how he does not have the authority to open an investigation into a daycare. “This bill appropriately creates some independence for integrity purposes through the auditor’s state’s office and brings the state’s chief legal officer—the attorney general—into play where the auditor has done sufficient work to predicate the possibility of legal action,” Yost explained. 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