‘They basically pled the Fifth to us’: WA Rep. Travis Couture rips state’s response to alleged daycare fraud

Washington Rep. Travis Couture accused state officials of dodging questions about suspicious daycare subsidy payments, arguing that taxpayers deserve investigations and accountability.

“When we asked DCYF that during the session, it was dead silence. They did not want to answer it. They basically pled the Fifth to us,” Couture said on “The John Curley Show” on KIRO Newsradio.

Couture was describing what he considered a failure by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) to explain payments he believes exceeded what some providers could reasonably receive.

Center Square reporter Carleen Johnson previously discussed her investigation into possible daycare fraud on “The John Curley Show” on KIRO Newsradio, including visits to providers and questions about whether subsidy payments matched the childcare being delivered.

For Couture, the issue goes beyond any single provider. He argued that Washington’s oversight system makes it too easy for questionable payments to escape scrutiny.

“I mean, fraud doesn’t see state lines; it just sees weak systems. And here in Washington, we have a weak system,” Couture said.

Couture questions payments and oversight

Couture contended that the state distributes childcare subsidies without doing enough to verify the underlying claims.

“What they have created is a system that pays first and asks questions later,” he said. “And the bigger problem is, as it turns out, they weren’t even asking the questions later.”

He pointed to Full Moon Childcare Center, which he described as licensed for nine children. By his calculation, the provider should have received roughly $20,000 a month at most, including additional payments for which it might qualify. He alleged that actual monthly payments ranged from approximately $61,000 to $99,000.

Curley pressed him on why repeated questions about daycare spending had not produced more visible enforcement.

“This is the frustration that the average taxpayer is having,” Curley said.

Couture argued that stronger verification would protect both taxpayers and legitimate providers. In his view, money lost to fraud is money unavailable to working families who need childcare assistance and providers delivering that care.

Fraud-prevention measures stalled

Couture also criticized what happened to fraud-prevention provisions he and Rep. Josh Penner backed during the legislative session.

“And then myself and Rep. Josh Penner forced amendments into a Democrat bill to curb this fraud, and it actually passed the House, and then it went over to the Senate, where it was immediately killed for no apparent reason,” Couture said.

Clark County Today described the same legislative dispute: The bill passed the House with nearly unanimous support, but Couture said a Senate amendment stripped out fraud-prevention measures that had won agreement in the House.

Couture argued that lawmakers should be tightening controls rather than waiting for outside complaints to trigger scrutiny. He also called for similar accountability across other state programs, including healthcare spending.

Pushback over reporters’ daycare visits

The interview also addressed SEIU 925’s response to reporters visiting home daycare providers.

The Center Square reported that the union contacted lawmakers after Post Millennial reporter Katie Daviscourt posted videos of visits to Seattle-area providers. The union accused Daviscourt of harassing immigrant childcare providers, while critics characterized its appeal as an attempt to restrict reporting.

Couture took the latter view, arguing questions about public spending should not be dismissed because of a provider’s background.

“Even a labor union should not be protecting people who are engaged in fraud, regardless of the color of their skin or their sex, religion, gender, anything,” Couture said.

Turning a reporter away doesn’t prove a daycare misused taxpayer money. But Couture argued that journalists should be able to ask questions and vowed to fight any bill that would stop them from investigating.

“So I’ll be fighting against that tooth and nail if that comes up in the next session,” he said.

Couture calls for action — and voter turnout

Asked when taxpayers could expect results, Couture expressed hope that lawmakers would act in the coming session, if not sooner. He also predicted federal scrutiny if Washington failed to address the concerns.

His broader argument was political: Changing oversight, he contended, requires electing lawmakers willing to demand it.

“This is going to be a turnout election,” Couture said. “It’s about how many people submit their vote. Period. End of story. That’s it. And so everyone needs to get out there and make their voice heard.”

He urged listeners to vote throughout their ballots, including in state Supreme Court races, and to consider working with moderate Democrats where that could help change the state’s direction.

For Couture, the immediate demand remained stronger controls on childcare spending and consequences for wrongdoing.

“Not only do we need a better system, but we actually need politicians in Olympia who give a damn about the fraudulent illicit things happening with our tax dollars in this state, and then we need to go and get actual accountability and measures for all of the rest of state government, not just daycares,” he said.

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to “The John Curley Show” weekdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM.

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