Abdi Daisane wins Minnesota House seat as daycare funding draws scrutiny

Crime · First reported 6 Nov, 09:00 · Updated 10:46

Image: Wikimedia Commons · NASA Johnson Space Center · Public domain

Abdi Daisane, a Democrat who owns Blooming Kids Child Care Center in St. Cloud, defeated a Republican incumbent for Minnesota House District 14A. Reports focus on public funding received by the center and its connection to a nonprofit that paid an $18.5 million fraud settlement.

Daisane won Minnesota House District 14A, representing the St. Cloud area, after defeating a Republican incumbent.
Daisane is CEO of Blooming Kids Child Care Center. Reports say it received $7.29 million through Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program since 2018 and $598,251.62 through the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program since 2020.
The center’s sponsor for federal food-program funds was Partners in Nutrition, which paid an $18.5 million civil settlement over fraud allegations involving federal child nutrition funds.
Fox News said it found the center quiet during a visit and described a mostly empty nearby parking lot; it also reported that the center had been cited for more than a dozen violations, citing Alpha News.
The reports also mention online questions about Daisane’s wife’s immigration history and social-media criticism of his election. Fox News said Daisane did not respond to its request for comment.