The Minnesota daycare center that gained notoriety after being featured in a YouTuber’s video alleging fraud has officially shut down, according to state authorities.
The Quality Learning Center ceased operations on Tuesday, as confirmed by the Minnesota Department of Human Services’ licensing database. The exact reasons for the closure have not been disclosed.
A representative from the Minnesota Department of Youth, Children, and Families informed Fox News, stating, “Quality Learning Center requested the closure of their license, which became effective on January 6, 2026. The facility cannot resume operations unless they apply for a new license.”
The most recent state inspection of the daycare was conducted in June 2025. During this review, the center was cited for multiple violations; however, no evidence of fraud was found, according to the state’s documentation.
The Quality Learning Center had been at the heart of a purported childcare fraud controversy in Minnesota.
Efforts by Fox News Digital to contact the daycare center were unsuccessful as no response was received.
The facility became infamous after Nick Shirley featured the facility in a video in which he visited multiple day care centers that allegedly received public funds but were not providing any services.
Quality Learning Center was among those targeted. When Shirley visited, the center’s sign had a typo that read “Quality Learing Center,” which was eventually corrected.
The business appeared inactive during Shirley’s visit, despite receiving state childcare assistance funds. That led to allegations that the center was one of several participating in a widespread fraud scheme taking place in certain segments of Minnesota’s Somali community.
Quality Learning Center in Minnesota was found at the center of an alleged childcare fraud scandal in the state. The facility closed as of Tuesday, according to Minnesota Department of Human Services’ licensing records. (Madelin Fuerste/Fox News Channel)
The video prompted condemnation from the Trump administration, which launched an investigation into potential fraud at businesses across Minneapolis.
Among the critics was Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who wrote on X, “One fraudulent business in Minnesota that misspelled ‘learning’ on its building received $1.9M this year while masquerading as a daycare.”
Days later, the center pushed back on the allegations, saying it was not involved in any wrongdoing.
Ibrahim Ali, a man who identified himself as a Quality Learning Center manager, denied allegations of fraud at the facility.
He told Fox News that the center was currently open at the time and had never closed, contradicting statements made earlier by officials with the Department of Children, Youth and Families that the center had closed earlier this month.
Nick Shirley upended the news cycle last month with a 42-minute video investigating Minnesota daycare centers that appeared inactive despite receiving millions of dollars in government funding. (Nick Shirley)
Ali also said Shirley visited the facility before operating hours, which he says ran from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Thursday.
“Are you trying to record that we’re doing fraud, or are you trying to put the Somali name and the fraud in the same sentence?” he said of Shirley. “That’s what really hurt us the last couple of days.”
As for the misspelling on the sign, Ali said a person hired to install the sign incorrectly spelled “learning.”
