A Somali-American candidate in Minnesota who runs a local daycare is calling for expanded childcare support even as his business has faced licensing violations, fines, and local citations amid a broader state fraud scandal tied to fake daycare claims.
There is a sharp contrast here: a candidate pressing for more public childcare dollars while his own center has been cited for regulatory problems. The candidate, Abdi Daisane, is campaigning in Minnesota House District 14A and runs Blooming Kids Child Care Center in St. Cloud, MN. That tension is fueling skepticism from voters who want accountability before new spending.
Daisane has framed his campaign around economic access and the pressures families face. “When the only way to keep a roof over your family’s head is to work three jobs, we’re not doing our job to address access to quality housing. When you cannot find adequate daycare for your children and unwillingly leave the workforce to care for them, we’re not doing our job to ensure safe and accessible childcare,” Daisane said. “When your children attend schools with crowded classrooms, we’re not creating an environment where teachers can succeed and children can learn. Access to resources I needed to start my business has allowed my family to thrive. Not everyone has access to those resources. And not just the capital, but the time to pursue your dreams.”
Blooming Kids Child Care Center in St. Cloud, MN.
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Still, official records show enforcement action. According to Minnesota’s Department of Human Services, he was fined $400 in 2024 for two background study violations involving staff working with children without proper or up-to-date background studies. In 2022 the City of St. Cloud took him to court over $1,100 in citations, and local reporting in 2025 noted multiple citations dating back to the center’s opening in 2017.
Licensing reviews from 2021, 2022, and 2023 listed problems including “The correct number of qualified staff were not present,” “Staff orientation training did not include all required items,” “Children did not have daily access to all interest areas,” “Equipment and furniture were not in good repair,” “Areas used by children were not in good repair,” “the program’s space was not clean,” and “Documentation was not available to show that a teacher met qualifications.”
A 2021 “Maltreatment Investigation” also found that “Children’s files did not contain immunization documentation,” and “Children’s files did not contain physical exam documentation.”
Officials say the cited violations from both the Maltreatment Investigation and the licensing reviews were corrected, but that does not erase the records or the questions voters raise. The court case over the 2022 citations was settled a few months after being filed, though the public court filings do not explain the exact nature of those citations.
These local compliance issues matter more now because Minnesota recently uncovered a sweeping daycare fraud scheme that sent millions in federal funds to sham programs and empty facilities. The scandal exposed fake daycares with no children, operations in residences, and shoddy record-keeping that allowed perpetrators to cash out federal funds and buy luxury goods.
Investigations into the larger fraud alleged that some funds even reached extremist actors overseas, a detail that has stirred alarm among citizens and elected officials alike. That reality makes plain the case that the state needs stricter oversight and enforcement before asking taxpayers to increase funding for childcare programs.
From a policy perspective, this is about two things: money and trust. Minnesotans do not want to pour more funding into systems that have not been cleaned up and that allow abuse or outright theft. Responsible conservatives argue that the priority must be fixing the enforcement gaps, prosecuting fraud, and strengthening transparency before expanding budgets.
There is also a basic fairness issue for legitimate childcare providers who play by the rules and face competition from bad actors. When a handful of providers skirt regulations or commit fraud, honest centers lose enrollment, reputations suffer statewide, and taxpayer confidence erodes.
So the argument to increase childcare funding needs context: show how oversight will be reformed, how waste and fraud will be stopped, and how families will truly benefit. Until the root problems are addressed, calls for significantly more public spending will look premature to many voters.
Lawmakers who support additional investment must answer direct questions about accountability, enforcement, and results. Conservatives are pushing for criminal prosecutions where fraud occurred, tighter licensing enforcement, and removal of benefits from those who exploited the system, while insisting taxpayer dollars be protected.
