Here is a news release I issued this morning:


LAZICH WANTS FULL AUDIT OF WISCONSIN SHARES PROGRAM
Request follows MJS series that found rampant fraud in child care program

FOR IMMMEDIATE RELEASE                                        Contact: Sen. Lazich
MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2009                                        Phone: (608)266-5400

(MADISON) - State Senator Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) has formally asked the co-chairpersons of the Joint Committee on Audit to request that the Legislative Audit Bureau conduct a full review of the state taxpayer-funded Wisconsin Shares child care program. Lazich’s request follows a series of reports by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after its four month investigation of Wisconsin Shares uncovered what the newspaper called, “a trail of phony companies, fake reports and shoddy oversight.”

The Journal Sentinel also reported, “The system allows child-care providers and parents to easily con the system, capitalizing on children for public cash.” With limited access to child care cases, the Journal Sentinel still pinpointed $750,000 in suspicious child-care disbursements.

“The taxpayers funding this program demand answers and accountability concerning the serious allegations made as a result of the Journal Sentinel’s investigation and subsequent reporting,” said Lazich, a member of the Joint Committee on Audit.

“The current conditions outlined by the Journal Sentinel are unacceptable,” said Lazich who made her request for an audit in a letter to Joint Committee on Audit co-chairpersons, Senator Kathleen Vinehout and Representative Peter Barca.

The Journal Sentinel’s findings include counties accepting almost anything as verification of employment for parents requesting assistance,  caseworkers approving child care while children were at school all day, and regulators reluctant to revoke licenses for fraud.

“My fear is that the problems associated with Wisconsin Shares are even more serious than the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel discovered,” said Lazich. “I trust the outstanding Legislative Audit Bureau will do an excellent job determining the extent of fraud in Wisconsin Shares.”

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports the last full audit of Wisconsin Shares was done during 2001.



UPDATE from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel