For months, whenever anyone has mentioned the Wisconsin Shares program, the word "fraud" has also, unfortunately, been mentioned. Scandals involving overpayments to child care providers and poor enforcement of background checks have dominated the news.

As a state legislator, I have taken the problems identified within the Wisconsin Shares program very seriously. My legislative colleagues and I have taken a hard look at the program and taken numerous steps to stop fraud.

This week, we unanimously passed the Child Care Provider Accountability Act (Senate Bill 331) which eliminates the possibility that criminals could be licensed to provide child care, and allows the immediate suspension of Shares payments to providers being investigated for fraud. This legislation provides a revenue-neutral way for counties to investigate fraud and root out corruption in the program. This bill is a strong, bipartisan approach to protecting our state's children and preserving the integrity of the Shares program. I was proud to cast a vote in support of this bill.

But it is not only the state Legislature that must act. Every level of government needs to step up to the plate and accept responsibility for reforming Wisconsin Shares. Racine County has been home to unscrupulous child care providers who have improperly used taxpayer resources and, in some cases, jeopardized the safety of children in their care. The spotlight on Shares by the press has revealed that Racine County's officials have not done all they should or could to enforce existing laws and weed out fraud.

I have been extremely disappointed that, while pointing fingers at the state, Racine County Executive William McReynolds and his primary defender in the state Legislature, state Rep. Robin Vos, R-Caledonia, seem unwilling to take responsibility for the county's own poor management of the Shares program.

Numerous questions exist about Racine County's ability to enforce stricter state standards for child care providers. For example, why did Racine County not use more than $26,000 in state dollars meant for child care fraud investigation? Why did Racine County eliminate the positions of two sheriff's deputies whose job duties included investigating reports of child care fraud or misuse? Equally galling are the actions of Rep. Vos, who in the midst of the worst budget in state history, has seemed interested only in throwing more money at the problem. His proposal this week to add $2.5 million to the anti-fraud kitty came with no identified state funding source, no oversight, and no expectations of improved enforcement. Rep. Vos apparently has little interest in ensuring that limited state resources are used to actually improve enforcement in a county that has a proven track record of failing to adequately investigate fraud or protect the taxpayers' investment.

The state Legislature is doing its part to put a stop to fraud within this important program. The Shares program, at its core, was designed to help honest people find and maintain honest work. It provides critically important assistance to working parents to enable them to afford the skyrocketing costs of child care and know that, while they are at work, their children are in a safe, educational, and stimulating environment. In today's uncertain economy, this purpose is more important than ever.

But for our efforts to be successful, the Legislature's reforms must be paired with meaningful commitment from our county counterparts. We now have passed significant reforms to strengthen the Shares program and address the serious problems which have come to light. These new state laws require strong and diligent local enforcement, accountability, and implementation.

The state has done its part to change the rules to crack down on fraud in the Shares program.

Now the county needs to step up and do its part to enforce the integrity of the program.