There has been a growing debate over whether some daycares in Minnesota are legitimate or completely fake. A YouTuber named Nick Shirley recently fueled that discussion by claiming there is widespread daycare fraud in the state, posting videos of himself visiting multiple daycare locations.
Now, people believe they may have found evidence supporting his claims. A woman shared what appears to be a real Craigslist ad that raised serious questions. The listing was titled, “Daycare hiring child actors for 3 day contract (Ventura Village).”
In the job description, the poster claimed their family had been operating a daycare for five years but said their funding was suddenly “ripped away.” They went on to describe the decision as an “insane poor decision clear in white supremacy,” alleging that it ultimately forced them to shut down their daycare.
The Minnesota Craigslist ad went on to claim that the operators now had to prove they were a functioning daycare in order to receive their funding again. That’s where the listing took a strange turn. According to the ad, they were willing to pay $1,500 per day for 20 child actors over a three-day period, totaling $90,000. The poster claimed the short timeframe was necessary because the state would be present during those days.
The ad also stated that the hiring process would include phone interviews. If the listing were real, many pointed out how alarming and dangerous it could be. Others, however, believed the post was fake and created solely to make Minnesota daycares look worse amid ongoing controversy.
Still, despite the skepticism, dozens of people appeared to believe the claims made in the ad. So far, no one has publicly come forward to say whether they responded to the listing or attempted to verify it. As a result, whether the ad is legitimate or completely fabricated remains unclear.
People Reacting to the Minnesota Craigslist Daycare Ad
After the Minnesota Craigslist ad began circulating, people were split over whether it was real or completely fabricated. Some argued that it conveniently fit the ongoing narrative about fraud in the state and was likely written for that exact purpose. “Don’t believe everything you read. Anybody could have written this,” one person cautioned.
That comment, however, quickly drew backlash in the replies, some of which turned openly racist. One person wrote, “You have to remember folks. Their IQ is only about 67. They’ve already claimed that somebody broke in and only stole their enrollment records. Doesn’t that sound suspicious to begin with?” Another commenter added, “So either you’re not an American taxpayer or you’re not an American citizen, because if you’re either, you got to be one dumb SOB to believe all the fraud is not happening!”
The exchange highlighted how quickly skepticism about the ad spiraled into hostility, further fueling the already heated debate over whether the listing was legitimate or intentionally misleading.
More people came forward, insisting that the Minnesota daycare ad was 100% real, with several offering advice to the woman who shared the video on what steps to take next. “Contact the state inspector,” one person suggested. Another urged, “Report that to the FBI.” Someone else added, “Normally… normally I would say this is a troll post. But I absolutely believe this was probably made by the daycare owners themselves.”
When another commenter again argued that the ad was fake, the discussion quickly turned hostile. One TikTok user responded with a politically charged rant, writing, “I honestly do not understand libs. Give him your paycheck cause we are done… which means they will be sent back and there will not be another democrap president bc yall.”
Still, others remained skeptical, pointing out that the ad didn’t make much sense given the circumstances. Several people noted that it would be an odd move for a daycare to post something like that while already facing intense scrutiny and backlash, raising further questions about whether the listing was legitimate or deliberately provocative.
