RADIO | Rep. Joshua Penner joins Ari Hoffman on KVI Radio to discuss how he secured anti-fraud reforms in child care subsidy bill

February 24, 2026

Rep. Joshua Penner joined Ari Hoffman on KVI Radio to discuss his latest efforts to combat child care fraud in Washington. The state’s child care system is losing taxpayer money due to inadequate financial controls and oversight. Penner, R-Orting, alongside Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, successfully negotiated strict accountability measures into House Bill 2253 to stop this unchecked waste.

During the segment, Penner breaks down the recent findings from the State Auditor’s Office, which revealed the state could not fully account for nearly half a billion dollars in spending. To fix this, the new amendments serve as a financial firewall to protect taxpayer dollars and root out systemic fraud.

The bill enacts a permanent lifetime ban on licensure for providers who commit child care subsidy fraud and mandates electronic attendance systems to prevent ghost billing.

House Bill 2253 has passed the House and is now under Senate consideration.