LANSING, Mich. — Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, on Friday issued the following statement after Michigan Deputy Auditor General Laura J. Hirst confirmed the independent Office of the Auditor General will begin its investigation of the state’s Child Development and Care Program in March:

“We must make sure Michigan taxpayers aren’t being fleeced by criminals like the people of Minnesota. The auditor general’s investigation into Michigan’s child care program is good news for legitimate, law-abiding child care providers and the many families who struggle to find affordable child care throughout our state. It’s time to root out waste, fraud and abuse and hold our state agencies accountable for everyone who is fighting to make it in Michigan.

“The auditor general was instrumental in uncovering the astronomical $8.5 billion that was lost to fraud and mismanagement by Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency in the wake of the COVID pandemic. Given the Whitmer administration’s disastrous history of oversight failures, taxpayers deserve this investigation. We cannot afford to wait until all the money is gone before we start asking questions.”

Nesbitt requested a formal independent audit of the Child Development and Care Program earlier this month. The program, which is intended to assist low-income families with the cost of child care, is receiving over $540 million in taxpayer support this year.