Not ‘Learing’ Its Lesson: Suspicious Minneapolis Daycare Was Hit With Astonishing Number Of Violations

The “Quality Learing Center” in Minneapolis, whose misspelled sign and alleged fraud have put it in the spotlight, was hit with 121 violations from state inspectors in the past four years.

The Daily Wire reviewed public Minnesota licensing information, which revealed that before the Quality Learning Center faced scrutiny over alleged fraud, the center struggled to abide by state law, even on some of the simplest requirements for daycares. The review showed that the center has been cited for numerous supervision failures and potential dangerous conditions for infants and toddlers.

The 121 violations in four years are extraordinarily high for daycares in Minnesota, as the vast majority of daycares in the state received no violations during their annual licensing review, according to a 2020 government report.

The most recent infractions for the Quality Learning Center stem from a licensing review conducted by the state in June, which resulted in 10 violations. Among those violations, the center was cited for failing to complete staff training requirements, and cribs and mattresses did not meet safety requirements.

In December 2022, an inspection of the Quality Learning Center revealed that the daycare did not properly keep children’s attendance records. The center is now facing questions about whether children are even present in the building on a daily basis after independent journalist Nick Shirley visited the center during the day and found no children.

The center has had issues keeping other records as well, according to the Minnesota government. In 2024, the center received violations on multiple occasions because it did not have children’s physical exam and immunization documentation. Another citation from March of 2024 stated that children’s files “did not contain all required items.”

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Many of the violations since 2022 involved the facility, which was often cited for being in poor condition and dirty. The center was also fined $200 at least twice for failing to do proper background checks. In October of last year, state inspectors said the center had failed to “report a death, serious injury, fire or emergency as required.” For most of the violations, the center submitted “correction documentation” that was approved by the state.

The Daily Wire called two different numbers associated with the Quality Learning Center, but both of the lines were busy. The Daily Wire also reached out to the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families, seeking more information on the violations.

The center, which reportedly received $4 million in state funds, is licensed as a “day program” to serve infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children. Its license allows it to serve up to 99 children. The license was recently renewed and is good until the end of 2026, according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

The center’s manager, Ibrahim Ali, said on Tuesday that the facility is only open from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and serves children after school. The New York Post reported that around 20 kids were seen entering the center on Tuesday after getting bused to the facility.

Ali pushed back on Shirley’s reporting, claiming that it appears to be an attempt to “put out a certain message about a certain group [of people],” adding that the fraud accusations have hurt his business as well as the Somali community.

Much of the fraud accusations in Minnesota center on supposed businesses and non-profits linked to Somali immigrants. The Trump administration has vowed to address the alleged fraud by going door to door to suspected sites. Some Republicans have also called for Somali immigrants found guilty of committing fraud to be deported.