Hold onto your hats—Minnesota’s child care funding freeze has parents and advocates stumbling over their words in a raw display of frustration.
On Wednesday, January 1, 2026, a press conference spotlighted the dire consequences of halted federal funds, with a mother’s speech derailing over fraud admissions and allegations of massive misuse of taxpayer dollars swirling in the background, as New York Post reports.
The drama unfolded as Deko Nor, a medical student and parent of a young child in a daycare near Minneapolis, stepped up to decry the Trump administration’s decision to suspend child care support.
Nor highlighted the devastating impact, noting that over 20,000 children, including her own, could lose access to vital daycare services without federal aid.
But her momentum crashed when she began a sentence with, “I understand fraud is bad—” before stopping, visibly shaken, and covering her mouth in disbelief.
Flustered, Nor finally muttered, “I don’t think I can speak,” leaving the podium in an awkward silence that spoke volumes about the tension in the room.
Adding to the unease, Maria Snider, a leader at the Minnesota Childcare Association and head of a St. Paul development center, also slipped up by admitting, “There is fraud,” before showing visible frustration at her own words.
Snider tried to soften the blow by explaining, “Deko just let me know that she had to skip school today and she just got emotional being here.”
While her empathy for Nor’s plight is clear, one wonders if these emotional appeals can obscure the hard reality of systemic issues that demand accountability over tears.
The press event, coordinated by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison with child care supporters and affected families, aimed to push back against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ drastic funding halt.
HHS pulled the plug on payments until state leaders can prove funds aren’t being squandered, a decision spurred by a viral exposé from YouTuber Nick Shirley revealing Twin Cities daycares pocketing millions despite seeming shuttered or fake.
HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill underscored the freeze, pointing to claims that state welfare programs diverted vast sums to dubious operations over the past ten years, leaving taxpayers on the hook.
Now, Minnesota must defend its spending to HHS, conducting thorough audits of funded groups with detailed records of attendance, licensing, complaints, and inspections before any cash flows again.
HHS even set up a hotline and email for tips on suspected fraud, while other states face similar mandates to verify proper use of federal dollars, signaling a broader crackdown.
With federal prosecutors alleging up to $9 billion in fraud since 2018, following a $250 million scandal with the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, and connections to nonprofits tied to the Twin Cities’ Somali refugee community, the stakes couldn’t be higher—yet solutions remain elusive as families bear the cost of bureaucratic failures.
