Is your tax money funding a ghost daycare in Minneapolis? Congressman Tom Emmer, a Republican from Minnesota, is raising serious questions about millions in federal aid funneled to a South Minneapolis facility that appears to be anything but operational.
The issue centers on the Quality Learning Center, where a viral video by citizen journalist Nick Shirley exposed an eerily empty daycare, despite claims it serves nearly 100 children, Breitbart reported.
Emmer is now pressing Governor Tim Walz for answers amid broader concerns about social services fraud in Minnesota.
This controversy kicked off when Shirley, a YouTuber, visited the Quality Learning Center during a weekday and found no signs of activity. There were no kids, no bustle, just silence at the facility.
Adding insult to injury, the center’s sign reads “learing” instead of “learning,” a detail that hasn’t escaped sharp-eyed critics. It’s hard to trust an educational facility with millions in taxpayer funds when it can’t even spell its own purpose correctly.
Shirley’s footage captured a tense moment when an unidentified woman inside shouted, “Don’t open up,” while wrongly accusing him and his companion of being ICE agents. That’s a peculiar way to greet visitors at a supposed bustling daycare, don’t you think?
In the video, Shirley himself noted, “There’s no one here,” a simple observation that cuts to the heart of this scandal (Nick Shirley, YouTube video). If a center claiming to care for 99 children is a ghost town midweek, where exactly is the money going?
Reports suggest the Quality Learning Center has raked in nearly $8 million in federal taxpayer money since 2019. This includes $1.9 million alone in 2025 and a total of $4 million over two years. That’s a hefty sum for a place that looks more like a vacant lot than a vibrant childcare hub.
Rep. Emmer didn’t hold back, sharing Shirley’s video on X and pointedly asking, “Care to explain this one, @tim_walz?” (Rep. Tom Emmer, X post). It’s a fair question—hardworking Americans deserve to know why their dollars are bankrolling an apparent mirage.
The timing of this viral video couldn’t be worse for Minnesota, as it coincides with a staggering announcement from Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson. He revealed that half of $18 billion in federal welfare funds have been lost to fraud. That’s more than the GDP of some countries, according to the Government Accountability Institute.
The Quality Learning Center has a troubling history, with 95 violations flagged by the state human services agency between 2019 and 2023, as reported by 5KSTP. These aren’t minor slip-ups—issues like failing to secure hazardous items suggest systemic neglect.
Another violation included missing records for 16 children at the center. This raises serious questions about oversight and care at the facility.
This isn’t just about one daycare; it’s part of a larger pattern of alleged social services fraud in Minnesota. The scale of misused funds is a wake-up call for tighter controls on these programs.
Taxpayers aren’t asking for much—just transparency and accountability. When millions are handed out, shouldn’t there be a basic check to ensure the lights are on?
Governor Walz now faces mounting pressure to explain how such a facility could receive substantial federal aid with so little apparent activity. Silence on this matter won’t cut it when public trust is already shaken by broader fraud scandals.
Rep. Emmer’s call for answers resonates with many frustrated by government waste and progressive policies that seem to prioritize funding over results. It’s not about pointing fingers; it’s about ensuring every dollar serves its intended purpose—helping real children, not padding empty ledgers.
