Fact Check: Did Minnesota day cares donate $35M to political campaigns?

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: A chart that circulated widely on social media in early January claimed that Minnesota day care providers donated $35 million to political campaigns, triggering debate and suspicion as fraud allegations involving social services programs in the state continued to draw attention.

Claim: Minnesota day care providers donated $35 million to political campaigns

The claim emerged on January 1, 2026, when a user on X shared an image asserting that Minnesota day care centers had collectively donated more than $35 million to political campaigns over the previous two years. The post included a graphic described as a “leaderboard,” listing 11 day care providers, most based in Minneapolis, alongside a prominent $35 million figure.

As the image spread, users connected it to ongoing investigations into fraud linked to Minnesota’s social services system, particularly cases involving child care providers that received state assistance. The framing led many to assume the funds shown in the chart represented political donations rather than public funding.

Fact Check: No evidence supported political donation claim

There was no evidence that Minnesota day care providers donated $35 million, or any comparable amount, to political campaigns. The claim was false.

A closer review of the graphic showed that the $35 million figure was labeled as “Total CCAP funding tracked.” The Child Care Assistance Program, according to the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families, is a state initiative designed to help low-income families afford child care. It involves public assistance payments, not campaign donations.

The chart did not cite campaign finance databases, political committees, or election oversight bodies. It also failed to establish any link between the listed providers and political contributions.

Chart misrepresented child care assistance funding

Additional inconsistencies raised concerns about the chart’s credibility. The “leaderboard” format listed 11 providers, an unusual choice that lacked any explanation of how the entities were selected.

Clicking on individual providers led to pages claiming to show CCAP funding totals for fiscal years 2024 and 2025, along with addresses and license numbers. Each page linked to the Minnesota Department of Human Services, but those official pages contained only licensing and location details, not financial information.

Snopes later reported that it found no original CCAP payment data published on the somaliscan.com website. The site’s crowdsourcing section also requested help obtaining CCAP payment records through public records requests, despite already displaying figures purportedly based on that information.