Taxpayer Philanthropy: State awards $18 million to daycare with 39 nonexistent locations

TheCenterSquare ^ | 10/27/26 | Adam Herbets

[CFW]

A nonprofit daycare that claims to have “over 40 locations” across California and received an $18.2 million award “for more [than] 1,048 children in at-risk" communities” actually has just one facility providing care for no more than six children, an investigation by The Center Square found.

The William Law Foundation did not open its first daycare until October 2026, according to Executive Director William Edwards — more than three years after the nonprofit was awarded $18,216,131 through the California Department of Social Services’ 2022-23 General Child Care and Development Program grants.

"It's been a slow start," Edwards conceded to The Center Square in an interview earlier this month at his Bakersfield facility.

CDSS records show the William Law Foundation received the largest proposed award of any applicant during its 2022-2023 grant cycle, but the department has not answered how or why the organization qualified for such a large award despite having no experience running childcare programs.

The William Law Foundation's latest tax returns from 2024 show Edwards was the only employee of the nonprofit and that he paid himself at least $540,000 with $180,000 in deferred compensation. The salary was apparently funded entirely by taxpayers. The nonprofit's only revenue stream that year was $1,051,434 in government grants.

Brian Mittendorf, an accounting professor at Ohio State University, agreed to review the nonprofit's tax filings for The Center Square as a neutral third party. He questioned the government's oversight of millions in taxpayer funds.

"On what basis did they think that this was going to lead to success?" Mittendorf asked. "Not anyone can just open a daycare center... What did they do to justify receiving a grant for a very particular type of service being provided?"

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TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: ca; corruption; daycare; democrattruth; fraud; fraudtruth; liberaltruth

[CFW]

Corporate media shrugs and, for the most part, refuses to report on the corruption. Most people are not aware that so much of their tax dollars are being stolen under the guise of daycare facilities.

[woodbutcher1963]

That is ONLY $3.03 Million per child.

Whats wrong with that?

(s)

[21twelve]

EVERYTHING is wrong with that. He obviously needs more.

“It’s been a slow start,” Edwards conceded...”

[z3n]

Whats wrong with that?

(s)

~~~~

speaking of (s)
In that same vane, I have a sarcastic question.
I mean, if you get 18 million and you have no kids to spend it on, and you’re running a “non-profit” which I assume means that your revenues cannot exceed your costs and expenses, then why not give yourself a half million dollars. That money has to go somewhere, right? heh
It’s all perfectly innocent. Just a mere math problem. /s

[woodbutcher1963]

Plus, you NEED a company car to drive for the business.
So, you NEED a BMW, MERCEDES, or at least a LEXUS to project the correct image of the company you represent.

[jimtorr]

You also need a Ferrari...and don’t forget the vacations. The grant is not big enough for a mansion in Malibu, though.

[hanamizu]

The William Law Foundation did not open its first daycare until October 2026, ...”It’s been a slow start,” Edwards conceded.

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Unless, I’m mistaken, this means he opened his first ‘daycare’ this month. Just doing some quick math here. Assuming he opened on October 1, and there are six kids enrolled every weekday, that’s $3 million dollars a day per kid served.

But as I understand current California law, there are penalties for exposing this kind of fraud...