After a major childcare fraud case surfaced in Minnesota, YouTuber and independent journalist Nick Shirley has now flagged another alleged scam, this time drawing attention to California. In a video posted on his YouTube channel and shared on X, Shirley claims to have uncovered fresh irregularities, adding to concerns surrounding the state. California, already under scrutiny for a range of issues, now faces renewed attention over alleged fraud linked to healthcare and childcare systems.
The video opens with a provocative visual, as Shirley points to a luxury vehicle and remarks, “This is the sound of hospice money,” setting the tone for his investigation. He is then seen confronting individuals on camera, asking, “Could you just answer the question? What’s the need for a 1,000% increase in hospice care here inside of LA? Do you have the paperwork to enroll a little boy by the name of Joey?” He continues, “Well, it says there’s 14 children enrolled here on the state of California. That there is $6,000 per beneficiary. Can you give us any explanation?” His repeated questioning underscores his central allegation—possible irregularities in hospice care enrollments.
Drawing on media reports and clips featured in the video, Shirley expands the scope of his claims, stating, “California may have the largest amount of fraud in the country. As California is the state with the highest taxes and collects more money than any other state in America, it is filled with fraud.” The footage presented in the video suggests what he describes as a broader pattern of alleged financial misconduct.
He further backs his claims with figures displayed in the video, arguing, “California’s version of Medicaid called medical has more than doubled since 2022 from $108 billion to a proposed $222 billion in 2026. Their population, however, has not grown exponentially. However, their spending has. There has been a thousand% increase in hospice care in the Los Angeles County. In fact, one out of every $10 of home health care in America is spent in Los Angeles.”
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Shirley also points to alleged issues in the childcare sector, adding, “On top of that, their government-funded daycare programs are filled with violations. While they continue to give money to these fraudsters, it is estimated that the fraud in California could be in the hundreds of billions of dollars.”
Outlining the intent behind his video, he says, “In this video, we’ll be going face to face with these fraudsters confronting them as they defraud the American taxpayer out of millions and billions of dollars as they live their lives in luxury, driving around luxurious cars that cost more than $100,000 that you actually paid for. Let’s start first by going to these daycares filled with violations that still continue to receive money from the government.”
As part of his on-ground reporting, Shirley visits a facility identified as Medina Learning Centre in San Diego, California, describing the surroundings in detail: “It’s in the middle of this shopping plaza. A lot of the buildings are closed down or boarded up, have been graffitied. And then you also have just a big dumpster right here with all this garbage. And then the daycare is right there.”
Questioning its suitability, he says, “This does not look like a place where you’d want to bring your child’s and it does not look suitable and set the code to be a place where children are enrolled.”
He goes on to compare reported enrollment figures with what he observed, stating, “The last few visits from the state have said that they have 39 enrolled and right now we’re seeing about five children.”
Attempting to test the system, he adds, “So, let’s see if little Joey can be here at Medina. Do you have the paperwork to enroll a little boy by the name of Joey? Yes, we’d like to enroll little Joey into daycare.” He further raises concerns about affiliations, claiming, “They have as their backup facility the UMI Learning Center and the UMI Learning Center was convicted in federal court in 2024 of having 150 ghost kids. So, I want to find out what the affiliation is and and why this facility is listed as the backup.”
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Accompanied by a woman during his on-ground visit, Shirley continues to document what he describes as irregularities at the site, pointing to limited documentation and questionable conditions. “The card that they gave us, this is the Lency, the person who owns it. And that’s so far been the only thing they’ve been able to give us as to how to enroll a child,” he says, suggesting a lack of formal enrollment process.
He also draws attention to the surroundings, adding, “And then in the back corner of this parking lot appears to be the playground. Here’s a bunch of garbage. And then right here appears to be the playground.”
Raising broader concerns, he told, “Some strange things are happening outside this daycare. Whether or not it’s fraudulent, there is a lot of suspicious activity taking place,” stopping short of making a definitive claim while emphasizing what he portrays as troubling signs.
Shirley’s investigation also takes him to another facility identified as Hayden Sarah Family Child Care, where he questions enrollment records and on-ground realities. “Apparently, they have 14 children enrolled. Tell us a little bit more about this daycare right here. We’re in the middle of the hills here in San Diego,” he says in the video.
The woman accompanying him responds, “So, according to state records, when inspectors arrived here, there were 14 kids enrolled, but zero present. And then this place was also cited for having missing children’s records and also not having a facility roster.”
When Shirley attempts to question a woman at the location, she pushes back, saying, “It’s not enough Minnesota. You come here,” as he continues to press, “Where are the children at, ma’am?”
Addressing criticism around his approach, Shirley adds, “We’re not targeting Somalian population. We’re just going after daycares. And it just so happens to be that all the daycares, they are Somalian so far.”
He further alleges misuse of public funds, stating, “The problem with these daycares is that they receive money through a program called CalWORKs. But as you see, there are no children actually there. These fraudsters are simply enrolling children on paper to receive government subsidies.”
In another exchange captured on camera, he asks, “Is this Haboo family child care? Yeah. We wondering if we if we could enroll a child into the daycare here,” only to be told, “We know you. You need to get up from here because there is trespassing. You see the sign we have trespassing.”
Shirley then turns to another facility he describes as “even more concerning,” alleging a lack of supervision at a daycare identified as Jamba Shukri Family Child Care. “Now, let’s go to another one that’s even more concerning as kids are left all alone. Now, we’re at the Jamba Shukri Family Child Care. This place is not a shopping plaza. It’s not anywhere near any place that looks like a place where a daycare would be. In fact, it’s actually in one of these apartments right here,” he says, highlighting the setting.
Raising questions about capacity and oversight, he adds, “Some of these are on the third story of an apartment complex. It’s only one bedroom and yet the capacity is for eight kids.” Describing what he claims to have witnessed upon arrival, Shirley states, “We just arrived to the daycare. We have two kids out here. I don’t know if they’re members of the daycare. There’s no one there’s no oversight right here.”
In the video, he is seen interacting with the children, who respond, “He is not here” when asked about their teacher. Shirley follows up, “Okay. So, you guys are all by yourself,” to which one of the children replies, “I can see by myself,” further underscoring his concerns about alleged lapses in supervision.
The video also shows Shirley visiting multiple other locations as part of his investigation, attempting to verify whether the facilities in question actually had children or elderly beneficiaries present.
Through these visits, he appears to be testing his broader claim—seeking to determine whether services were genuinely being provided or existed largely on paper. His on-ground checks, as depicted in the footage, are framed as an effort to understand what he suggests may be a wider pattern of irregularities across California’s childcare and healthcare systems.
Who is Nick Shirley?
Nick Shirley is an independent journalist and YouTuber known for producing on-the-ground investigative videos, often focusing on social issues, alleged fraud, and government systems in the United States. He runs a self-titled YouTube channel where he documents field visits, interviews, and confrontations related to his reporting.
Shirley gained attention for covering topics such as childcare fraud allegations, homelessness, immigration, and public spending. His style typically involves direct questioning and real-time documentation, which he also shares across platforms like X.
In December 2025, one of his videos gained widespread attention after it raised allegations of fraud involving Somali-run childcare centers in Minnesota, quickly going viral online.