Craigslist child-actor ad was a prank, not proof of Minnesota day care fraud

The false claim circulated as the Trump administration pursues investigations into alleged fraud at Minnesota day care centers and announced plans to tighten federal child care funding rules.

A Craigslist ad offering $1,500 a day for children to pose as day care attendees in Minneapolis spread across multiple social media platforms this week as purported evidence of fraud at Minnesota day care centers. The cohost of an online prank show told the Associated Press his team placed the ad as bait — not as documentation of any actual scheme.

The ad, which is no longer active, was posted Jan. 1 in Craigslist’s Hennepin County section for general labor jobs. It said a day care center in Minneapolis’ Ventura Village neighborhood was hiring 20 child actors for three days to pose as attendees while the facility was vetted by the state, at $1,500 per child per day.

“The show’s called Goofcon1 and it is a funny show,” Joey LaFleur, a cohost of the show, told the AP. “We do pranks and stuff like that.”

LaFleur said the ad drew a “ton of responses.” He and his two cohosts planned a live show Saturday to call people who had expressed interest, he said.

Screenshots of the ad spread on multiple platforms, gaining tens of thousands of likes, shares, and views, according to the AP. One post on X described it as “BREAKING — A Craigslist ad seeking child actors for a daycare in Minneapolis’ Hennepin County has been discovered, with the poster requesting 20 children to act as clients while the state observes them to determine whether it’s a legitimate daycare.” A TikTok video called the ad “100% serious” and was viewed approximately 14,300 times.

LaFleur said the show also aims to protect against predators and call out conservatives who “don’t care about fact checking.”

The viral posts circulated against the backdrop of ongoing federal scrutiny of Minnesota day care operators. The Trump administration is investigating a series of alleged fraud schemes at Minnesota day care centers, according to the AP. Also Monday, the administration announced it plans to tighten rules for federal child care funds.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz ended his bid for a third term on Monday, the AP reported, amid President Donald Trump’s continued focus on those investigations.