HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O'Neill announced the halt of childcare subsidies to Minnesota on Dec. 30. (HHSTV1 via YouTube)
The DCYF instructed providers and families relying on the frozen funds to continue the program’s "licensing and certification requirements and practices as usual." The email does not say if recipients need to take any action or provide any information.
The state agency said it "did not receive a formal communication from the federal government until late Tuesday night," after the DHS announced it would freeze all child care payments to Minnesota.
All states must submit additional verification before receiving more child care funding.
Children sleep during nap time at Minnesota Child Care in Minneapolis, Minn., on Dec. 30. (Renee Jones Schneider/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images)
At a news conference Monday, Minnesota DCYF Commissioner Tikki Brown said prior inspections of the centers did not uncover fraud, noting that regulators are conducting unannounced visits in response to concerns raised by the video.
"We are aware of a video that's being circulated that has gained local and national attention about childcare centers in Minnesota," Brown said. "While we have questions about some of the methods that were used in the video, we do take the concerns that the video raises about fraud very seriously."
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Fox News Digital has reached out to Minnesota’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families for comment.
Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner, Louis Casiano and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Michael Sinkewicz is a writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to michael.sinkewicz@fox.com
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/minnesota-faces-funding-deadline-trump-administration-freezes-child-care-payments