Michigan lawmaker visits daycare that received $1.1M amid investigation
Michigan Rep. Jason Woolford visits the listed location of a daycare that received more than $1.1 million in taxpayer-funded childcare reimbursements as lawmakers investigate whether the facility was operating
FIRST ON FOX: Michigan lawmakers are investigating a childcare provider after a House oversight committee reported that an entity associated with 1st Premier Learning Academy & Daycare received more than $1.1 million in Child Development and Care (CDC) Program reimbursements between fiscal years 2023 and 2026, despite investigators saying they repeatedly found no evidence the daycare was operating at its listed address.
The investigation centers on 1st Premier Learning Academy & Daycare in Clinton Township and was launched by the Michigan House Oversight Subcommittee on State & Local Public Assistance Programs.
According to the committee's investigative report, investigators made multiple visits to the listed address during advertised business hours and reported finding no children, no staff and the building locked.
Investigators also said they were unable to locate an active childcare license for 1st Premier Learning Academy & Daycare.
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Michigan lawmakers are investigating a House committee report involving more than $1.1 million in taxpayer-funded childcare reimbursements. (Michigan House Oversight Subcommittee)
Committee staff said they attempted to contact the daycare during advertised business hours but were unable to reach anyone, with all calls ending at an answering service.
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During a June 12 site visit, committee staff reported finding the building locked despite being open during advertised business hours. Investigators said lights were on inside but no staff or children were visible.
The facility is listed at 39781 Garfield Road in Clinton Township.
Lawmakers said the facility's outdoor play area appeared unused during a June site visit. (Michigan House Oversight Subcommittee)
Committee investigators reported that the address is currently occupied by Kidz in Motion Early Learning Institute.
After publication, Kidz in Motion owner Monica Sanders told Fox News Digital that her business leased the property in January 2026, has not yet opened because it is completing Michigan's licensing process, has received no taxpayer-funded childcare reimbursements and has no affiliation with 1st Premier Learning Academy or the House investigation.
A nearby business tenant told investigators they had never seen children at the location, though they reported occasionally seeing construction activity.
Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Jason Woolford conducted his own visit on June 15. According to the report, no one answered the front door despite repeated knocking.
Investigators said Woolford found an outdoor play area consisting of a fenced-in asphalt lot with grass growing through the pavement, an old playhouse pushed against the building and chairs stacked outside filled with rainwater.
Committee investigators said they found no evidence that children were being cared for at the daycare's listed address during multiple site visits. (Michigan House Oversight Subcommittee)
The report also said a rear door was unlocked, but no one responded after Woolford called inside.
Employees at a neighboring café told Woolford they had never seen children enter the facility.
After publication, Michigan's Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential (MiLEAP), which administers the CDC Scholarship Program, disputed the committee's characterization of the reimbursements.
MiLEAP said 1st Premier Learning Academy & Daycare "is not a licensed child care provider in Michigan and has not received any CDC Scholarship Program funding." The agency also said Kidz in Motion submitted a childcare license application on Jan. 1, 2026, that remains under review and is not eligible to receive CDC scholarship payments unless licensed and approved.
Premier Early Childhood Education Partners also contacted Fox News Digital after publication, stating that it "does not own, operate, manage, or have any affiliation with the childcare center involved in this matter" and disputing any connection to the entity under investigation. Fox News Digital has not independently verified the ownership structure referenced in the House committee's report.
The House Oversight Subcommittee said its investigation remains ongoing, and no criminal charges have been announced.
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The House committee has not yet publicly responded to MiLEAP's statement disputing its reimbursement findings.
