Day Care - Washington State Taxpayers Out $3 Million Dollars in One Year

Audit: Washington paid too much for child care | The Columbian

In the time I was a licensor inside DSHS the controls mentioned in this article by the Columbian newspaper in Vancouver, Washington were no better then they are today.

From the news article:

"In 2010, approximately 60,000 children were enrolled in the program for either full-day or half-day care. That year, the program paid more than $300 million to nearly 19,000 providers, including 7,400 who were licensed or certified by the Department of Early Learning.

Auditors compared daily child care attendance records with paid invoices for 146 providers, including one provider in Clark County who received a $95 overpayment"

I'm a little unclear and incredulous; did the state overpay by almost $3 million dollars to just the 146 providers audited?

Out of 19,000 providers then only 146 were audited? Less than one percent.

How much then is the real overpayment cost to the taxpayer each year? And for the last twenty years.