Mississippi auditor: taxpayers paid $30.9M for absent childcare, announces guilty pleas

The Mississippi Office of the State Auditor said this summer that taxpayers paid as much as $30.9 million during fiscal 2024 for children who were reported absent from childcare centers receiving state funds.

The office announced that a man pleaded guilty after attempting to fraudulently collect unemployment benefits, the auditor’s office said.

The office said it also launched a new audit initiative aimed at identifying waste in smaller, often overlooked boards and commissions.

The auditor’s office said it worked with prosecutors to secure guilty pleas from former school superintendents who embezzled nearly $400,000. The office said it will continue audits and investigations to protect public funds.

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