DES MOINES, Iowa- A former day-care director in Toledo, Iowa is accused of stealing more than a quarter of a million dollars, from the county-supported facility.
State auditors found big "red flags" when they looked at the books of the non-profit Tama County Daycare, known as "Kids' Corner." Auditors found parents' payments had not been properly deposited, and the day-care credit cards had been used to make tens of thousands of dollars in purchases. Auditors also found $94,000 in foregone grant revenue
State Auditor Mary Mosiman says the total impact to the daycare was $278,362.
She says a day-care employee who "blew the whistle," was fired by then-director Kristine Daniel. The director was then fired, after an audit from a private accounting firm, hired by the board of directors, that oversees Tama County Daycare.
The 46-year-old Daniel was charged this week with ongoing criminal conduct and money laundering. She was booked into the Tama County Jail, and is out on bond.