I have a female relative unmarried with kids. One of them is classified as high functioning autistic. I know how the scam works.
I dated a girl once for a brief period that seemed to be unemployed but overflowing with money and nice clothes. It took me about 2 weeks to figure out her scam. I can’t remember the name of the program, but there is a government program that provides day care to underprivileged mothers. She got herself qualified as one of these government daycare providers and received checks from the government. Her official residence was with her grandmother. All her sisters and female cousins had hoards of illegitimate kids. Every day they would dump the kids off at her grandmother’s house(supposedly) and this girl I briefly dated would take care of them.
In reality, the kids never made it to the grandmother’s house and this girl rarely was there herself. She lived at all of her relative’s homes, aunts, cousins, etc, and rotated around every night. THe kids rarely left their own homes. This girl just went from house to house checking on them all day, or taking them on shopping trips. I think the kids looked at her as their mother more than their real mothers.
Her hours she reported as a daycare provider were grossly exaggerated.
I thought she was a college student and I was impressed that she was latina, never married, and no children, excellent english...and also gorgeous. She seemed pretty smart. Boy was I shocked when I figured out the truth.
Quite smart of you not to get too involved.