Massachusetts
Minnesota childcare fraud allegations spark audit request in Massachusetts: ‘Serious risks’
Fraud allegations in Minnesota’s childcare system are prompting two Massachusetts Republican lawmakers to ask the Healey administration to conduct a “top-to-bottom audit” of a Bay State voucher program.
State Reps. Marc Lombardo, R-Billerica, and Nicholas Boldyga, R-Southwick, say they’re alarmed after seeing national reports of fraud in childcare subsidy programs, pointing specifically to widespread allegations in Minnesota.
Their concerns have prompted them to ask Gov. Maura Healey to direct Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler to “urgently conduct” an audit and review of the Massachusetts Child Care Financial Assistance program to identify any potential fraud and vulnerabilities here.
Child Care Financial Assistance helps low-income families pay for childcare in Massachusetts.
“While Massachusetts has not yet been directly implicated in the same manner, the similarities in program structure, relying on voucher reimbursements to providers for low-income families, raise legitimate questions about whether comparable fraud or waste could be occurring here undetected,” Lombardo and Boldyga wrote in a joint letter to Healey on Wednesday.
“Our Commonwealth invests hundreds of millions of dollars annually in this critical program to support working families and early education,” they added. “We owe it to Massachusetts taxpayers and the families who genuinely need this assistance to ensure every dollar is spent appropriately and reaches its intended purpose.”
The governor’s office did not immediately respond to a Herald request for comment on the letter.
Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw has said that Massachusetts is not facing disruption to its $293 million share of federal childcare payments amid a nationwide freeze in response to the Minnesota fraud allegations.
Kershaw has also added that Child Care Financial Assistance is not being impacted, either. The state appropriates funds for the voucher program at the beginning of the fiscal year and then seeks federal reimbursement.
This fiscal year’s funding totals about $1.087 billion for the program, which covered more than 66,000 children in fiscal year 2025, according to a December report from the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.
“Obviously, we are incredibly concerned about families across the country and in Minnesota who may lose access to Child Care Financial Assistance based on acts by the federal government,” Kershaw told Bay State childcare stakeholders on Monday.
Before the new year, the federal Administration for Children and Families froze all funding to Minnesota. All 50 states must now provide additional verification before receiving more funds.
Minnesota Democrats accuse the Trump administration of playing politics and hurting families and children as a result.
This all comes after a video surfaced on YouTube alleging fraud in childcare in Somali communities in Minnesota, to which Kershaw has said none of the allegations have been proven.
The Massachusetts early education and care commissioner noted how there have been similar videos posted in Massachusetts and other states like Ohio, California and Washington.
In their letter to Healey, Lombardo and Boldyga also highlighted how the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has responded to the Minnesota allegations by closing loopholes that allowed payments without verifying attendance.
“These developments highlight serious risks in subsidized child care systems across the country,” the Republican lawmakers wrote, “including the potential for misappropriation of taxpayer funds on a massive scale.”
Lawmakers across the country are seeking similar reviews as Lombardo and Boldyga. In Michigan, State Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, a Republican, has asked for an audit of a state program that aims to help low-income families afford childcare there.
The Massachusetts audit would zero in on verifying that voucher payments to providers are based on documented child attendance records; cross-checking to detect potential “ghost children” or overbilling; and on-site inspections of voucher-receiving providers to confirm they are operating legitimate childcare programs, among other objectives.
“Such a thorough review would not only safeguard public funds,” Lombardo and Boldyga wrote, “but also strengthen confidence in a program that is vital to thousands of Massachusetts families.”
The Associated Press and Herald wire services contributed to this report.
Massachusetts
Winners’ circle: Tracking every 2026 spring high school championship – The Boston Globe
Championship season is upon us, and we’re tracking every title winner in Massachusetts this spring.
From the golf sectionals in late May to championship weekend June 11-14, a four-day stretch in which 31 titlists will be crowned across boys’ and girls’ lacrosse, boys and girls’ tennis, boys’ and girls’ rugby, boys’ volleyball, softball, and baseball, we’ll have you covered.
Find all the dates, brackets, seedings, matchups, and links to our postseason previews here.
Follow us on X @GlobeSchools, Instagram @BGlobeSchools, and Facebook to stay up to date.
Over at Globe.com/Schools you’ll find our daily scoreboard, nightly Takeaways, game coverage, videos, live streams, and our weekly Varsity News newsletter (sign up for free) to keep you in the know.
Division 1: Lexington girls, St. John’s Prep boys
Lexington girls graduate to two-time Division 1 track champions, St. John’s Prep sprints to boys’ title
Division 2: Billerica girls, North Andover boys

Billerica girls unphazed by move up to Division 2, going back-to-back as North Andover boys dominate
Division 3: Canton girls, Walpole boys

Canton girls cap greatest season with first Division 3 track title, Walpole boys win by thinnest margin
Division 4: Duxbury girls, Newburyport boys
Historic win for Duxbury girls, Mohoric paces Newburyport boys to Division 4 outdoor track championship
Division 5: North Reading girls, Weston boys
It’s four in a row for North Reading girls, two straight for Weston boys at Division 5 track championships
Division 6: Ayer Shirley girls, Abington boys

Ayer Shirley girls pick up where they left off, Abington boys twinning at Division 6 track championships

Day 1, Divisions 1, 2, and 5: Lexington boys and girls setting the pace at Division 1 track & field championships
Day 1, Divisions 3, 4, and 6: Canton girls make a strong run to first at Division 3 track championships

South: Walpole | With Tori Adams as its driving force, Walpole scores third straight MIAA South girls’ golf championship

North/Central/West: Hopkinton | Concord-Carlisle’s Sophie Redmond, Hopkinton rule MIAA girls’ golf championship for North/Central/West

With titles for Natick and Peabody and smiles for all, MIAA unified track championship ‘beyond inspiring’
Brendan Kurie can be reached at brendan.kurie@globe.com. Follow him on X @BrendanKurie.
Massachusetts
Meteor Lands In Cape Cod + Bus Crash Kills 5 From MA + Wind Storm Knocks Out Power To Thousands: MA Weekend
MASSACHUSETTS — Residents throughout New England were simultaneously startled as a meteor that landed in Cape Cod caused a sonic boom this past weekend.
Meanwhile, a bus driver is facing charges after five Massachusetts residents died in a crash on a highway in Virginia.
Plus, another State Trooper was caught handling a wrong-way driver situation on Route 1.
Mysterious Boom Heard Across MA Was An Exploding Meteor, Experts Say
The noises were heard around 2:11 p.m. Saturday, with people describing a sudden bang that rattled windows and even shook some homes. The American Meteor Society said that the booms heard were actually caused by a meteor about three feet wide entering the atmosphere near the border of Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Residents as far as Ipswich and Johnston, Rhode Island, reported hearing and feeling the sensations. Meteorologist Nick Stewart shared satellite images from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, showing where the meteor entered the atmosphere and combusted while traveling at 75,000 miles per hour above the ocean.
Bus Driver Charged After MA Family Of 4, Worcester Woman Killed In VA Crash
Jing S. Dong, of Staten Island, New York, now faces two counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the collision, which occurred around 2:35 a.m. Friday on southbound I-95 near Quantico. Among those killed were a 45-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman, a 13-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, all from Greenfield, Massachusetts. All were in the Acura, which police said caught fire after the collisions. Police on Saturday evening identified the fifth person killed as Priscilla R. Mafalda, 25, of Worcester, Massachusetts, who was riding in the Suburban struck by the bus.
In total, about 44 people were transported to area hospitals, including three with critical injuries.
State Trooper Hospitalized After Route 1 Wrong-Way Crash In Peabody
State Police said the trooper was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after police acted in coordination to protect traffic and stop the driver, who was traveling southbound on Route 1 North in Peabody. The incident occurred not far from the location on Route 1 where State Trooper Kevin Trainor was killed when his cruiser was hit head-on in a wrong-way crash in Lynnfield last month. The driver in Sunday’s crash was also hospitalized and charged with operating under the influence of liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and driving the wrong way on a state highway.
Rapidly Expanding Grocery Chain Has Big Plans For MA
Sprouts Farmers Market is slated to launch up to 40 locations throughout the region in the coming years. Construction has begun for the first Massachusetts spot in Weymouth, which has an opening date of 2028. The Phoenix-based organic grocery chain has more than 480 stores in 25 states.
Saturday’s Meteorite Was ‘Fishy Squisher’ And NASA Knows Where To Find It In Cape Cod Bay
Data from NASA suggest fragments of the meteorite lie in waters from the middle of the bay to about 10 miles northeast of the town of Sandwich. The agency said late Saturday it picked up radar signatures of the fragments from four radar sites, and termed the strike a “fishy squisher.” The meteorite entered Earth’s atmosphere about 40 miles above the Bay State and southern New Hampshire, creating the sonic boom. Water in the bombarded portion of Cape Cod Bay is about 100 feet deep.
35K Without Power As Winter-Like Storm Pummels MA With 55+ MPH Winds
Massachusetts residents throughout the North Shore were without power on Saturday morning as a winter-like storm tore a path of tree damage, downpours, and fierce winds throughout New England. Widespread tree damage was reported across the state, with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency reporting 34,228 customers without power as of 11:20 a.m. Wind speeds reached a high of 55 miles per hour. Temperatures dropped into the 40s with wind chills in the 30s as the storm arrived across the Bay State. The unsettled weather will continue through Monday and Tuesday before a warming trend takes hold later in the week.
See Also:
Cape Shoreline Named Among The Nation’s 10 Best, According To ‘Dr. Beach’
Massachusetts
Markey wins Mass. Dems’ endorsement as Moulton clears ballot hurdle in Senate race
U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, a moderate Massachusetts Democrat, secured enough delegate support Saturday to appear on the state’s primary ballot as he challenges incumbent U.S. Sen. Ed Markey in this year’s Senate race.
Yet even though Moulton cleared a key hurdle to continue his Senate bid, it was Markey who won the party’s endorsement after winning more than 50% of the delegation’s support.
“You have a choice, you have to decide what the future looks like and what you’re going to demand,” Markey said Saturday in front of more than 4,000 delegates.
Markey won nearly 73% of the delegates’ support, while Moulton won nearly 27% of the vote. Massachusetts Democratic Party rules require statewide candidates to get at least 15% of delegate support to appear on primary ballots.
In heavily Democratic Massachusetts, the Senate primary contest is one of the most closely watched in the country as Moulton, 47, has centered his campaign on changing the status quo and demanding a generational shift in leadership.
If reelected, Markey would be 80 before his third six-year term would begin. While Markey has touted his stamina and embrace of progressive policies, questions about age have continued to swirl around Democratic candidates as they fight to take back control of Congress.
Incumbent Sen. Ed Markey is leading Rep. Seth Moulton, but if Rep. Ayanna Pressley were to enter the Democratic primary, it would change the picture, according to a new poll from Suffolk University and The Boston Globe.
In his nomination speech, Moulton argued that the Democratic Party needed more than “incremental change” and needed to start anew.
“It’s time for the generation that grew up with the internet, and will have to live for decades with AI, to lead our way through it,” Moulton said.
Moulton only addressed his opponent briefly during his nomination speech, giving a passing nod on not waiting another six years for generational change and later calling on Markey to participate in multiple debates before the September primary. Currently, the two candidates have agreed to participate in one debate later this summer.
Markey, instead, took a more critical approach by attacking Moulton’s previous comments about transgender kids and accepting corporate PAC money.
“Massachusetts deserves better than a senator who scapegoats trans kids,” Markey said to loud cheers.
In 2024, Moulton caught flak from some members of his party for saying he didn’t want his daughters playing in sports against transgender girls. Critics said Moulton echoed Trump’s talking points against allowing transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports.
Moulton has since said his intent with that statement “was to point out that, as a party, we need to be willing to have difficult conversations.”
Moulton, who enlisted in the Marines after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and served four tours of duty in Iraq, was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014. He briefly launched a 2020 presidential campaign, but he dropped that bid after a few months.
Markey served as a Massachusetts congressman for nearly 40 years before winning the Senate seat in 2013. He fended off a challenge in 2020 from Rep. Joe Kennedy III in the Senate primary by turning to his progressive allies to overcome a challenge from a younger rival from America’s most famous political family.
The Massachusetts primary is Sept. 1.
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