Kansas City Childcare Operator Indicted for Defrauding State Program

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Kansas City woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for defrauding a state program to obtain federal funds.

Yolanda Dale, 52, was charged in a four-count sealed indictment on Aug. 27, 2026, by a federal grand jury sitting in Kansas City, Mo. The indictment was unsealed today upon Dale's initial court appearance. Dale is charged with two counts of theft of government funds and two counts of aggravated identity theft. This is one of many federal fraud cases pursued under the leadership of President Donald Trump and through the establishment of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.

As provided in the indictment, in 2023, the State of Missouri implemented a program that provided federal funding to childcare providers based on the number of individuals the provider employed during specific periods of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is alleged that, in March 2023 and July 2023, Dale prepared and filed, or caused to be filed, applications for the federal funding on behalf of the childcare center Dale operated. The indictment further alleges that Dale fraudulently inflated the number of individuals employed during the relevant periods on the applications, and, as a result, the childcare center received at least $75,000 in federal funding to which it was not entitled.

The federal funding involved was appropriated through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), which appropriated funds for use by state governments in responding to challenges faced by childcare providers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Once appropriated, the ARPA funding was sent to the State of Missouri who developed and implemented programs to disperse the federal funding to childcare providers.

The charges contained in the indictment are simply accusations and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Nicholas P. Heberle. This case is being investigated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.

National Fraud Enforcement Division

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ("Fraud Division"). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department's work to combat fraud supports President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.