A daycare facility allegedly involved in Minnesota's ongoing fraud scandal has hit back at criticism over a misspelled sign as staff reportedly 'truck in' children.
The Quality 'Learing' Center in Minneapolis was thrust into the spotlight last week after independent journalist Nick Shirley shared footage of the facility apparently devoid of children despite receiving millions of dollars in funding.
When video emerged of the childcare facility, eagle-eyed critics also noted the sign above the door misspelled the word 'learning.'
On Monday, the New York Post observed staff 'trucking in' dozens of children, despite locals admitting they thought the facility had been 'permanently closed' because they never saw kids being dropped off.
'We've never seen kids go in there until today. That parking lot is empty all the time, and I was under the impression that place is permanently closed,' one resident who lives nearby said.
As many as 20 young children and toddlers were seen walking into the facility on Monday morning, prompting Ibrahim Ali, the son of the facility's owner, to hit back at reports it is usually a ghost town.
'Do you go to a coffee shop at 11 p.m. and say, "Hey, they're not working?,"' Ali said.
He argued that when Shirley arrived and began filming the near-deserted facility, it had simply not yet opened for the day.
He said there were 16 children being taken care of inside the center on Monday.
Ali also attempted to shift blame for the incorrect 'learing' sign, accusing a graphic designer that had been hired of making a spelling mistake.
'What I understand is [the owners] dealt with a graphic designer. He did it incorrectly. I guess they didn't think it was a big issue,' the 26-year-old said.
'That's gonna be fixed.'
The center claims its opening hours are 2pm to 10pm, Monday to Thursday.
Footage of the facility sparked outrage among lawmakers and allegations state authorities allowed the 'largest fraud in US history' to go unchecked.
But Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families Commissioner Tikki Brown shot down Shirley's concerns, noting each of the facilities mentioned in his video had been subject to inspections in the last six months.
She said in all cases, children were present when authorities arrived to conduct their searches.
'There have been ongoing investigations with several of those centers. None of those investigations uncovered findings of fraud,' Brown said.
Brown also noted the daycare centers in the video have active licenses with the state and will continue receiving payments.
On Sunday, FBI Director Kash Patel said the FBI has long been aware of fraud allegations in the state and threatened action against perpetrators.
'The FBI believes this is just the tip of a very large iceberg,' Patel wrote.
'We will continue to follow the money and protect children, and this investigation very much remains ongoing.'
'Furthermore, many are also being referred to immigration officials for possible further denaturalization and deportation proceedings where eligible.'
Addressing the allegations made in Shirley's video, Patel said the 'FBI is aware of recent social media reports in Minnesota.'
He claimed that the bureau has moving to 'dismantle large-scale fraud schemes exploiting federal programs.'
'Fraud that steals from taxpayers and robs vulnerable children will remain a top FBI priority in Minnesota and nationwide.
According to Shirley, the childcare center pocketed $1.9 million from Minnesota's Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) in 2025, bringing the total to $4 million.
Shirley, in his investigation, arrived at the doorsteps of several daycare centers, claiming to be a father looking to enroll his child, but said he never saw any children at the facilities.
He said it was 'potentially the largest fraud scandal in US history.'
ICE agents descended on Minnesota this week in response to the growing scandal, arriving on the doorstep of the nearby ABC Learning Center to probe its books.
