The footage, which showed visits to a series of licensed childcare centers in and around Minneapolis, Minnesota, portrayed locked doors, empty parking lots, and seemingly inactive facilities.
In late December 2025, a 42‑minute video published by independent content creator Nick Shirley ignited a nationwide political and administrative controversy in the United States.
Despite public records indicating they had been paid millions through Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). The video was widely shared across social platforms, attracting tens of millions of views and prominent amplification from political influencers and public figures.
What began as a grassroots content piece quickly escalated into federal funding freezes, intensified investigations, political backlash, and widespread debate about government oversight of publicly financed social programs.
On December 26, 2025, Nick Shirley — a conservative independent creator with a large social media following — published a video documenting his visits to nearly a dozen childcare facilities in Minnesota licensed to receive payments from CCAP.The Child Care Assistance Program is a federally supported, state‑administered program that helps low‑income families pay for childcare by subsidizing provider fees.In the video, Shirley records scenes of buildings with daycare signs but little visible activity. One of the most widely circulated clips shows a facility in Minneapolis with a sign reading “Quality Learing Center”, which appeared closed with locked doors and no children present.Shirley cited publicly accessible state payment records indicating the center had received nearly $1.9 million in CCAP payments during the period, asserting that the footage suggested misuse of taxpayer funds.
The video was shared on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube, where it garnered huge engagement and was reshared by prominent conservative figures, which greatly amplified its reach beyond Minnesota.
Almost immediately, the video fueled sharp public reactions and political pressure. Republican lawmakers, including Minnesota’s own U.S. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, demanded accountability from state officials, criticizing Governor Tim Walz and state agencies for what they described as “baffling” oversight failures and misuse of taxpayer dollars.
