It's sad to hear that something even seemingly innocent as day care can be ripe for fraud.

Apparently in Minnesota, that's the case.

The president of the Minnesota Fraud Investigators Association has estimated that $22 million a year is stolen from the program designed to provide a helping hand to others.

It's bad enough the state is cutting more than $86 million from the program over the next two years because of Minnesota's financial crisis. It's even worse that people are abusing a system that is designed to help others in times of need.

If the state's child care assistance program is getting ripped off, it makes us wonder not just how many other agencies coffers are being pilfered, but how much is being taken.

Legislators got the ball rolling this past session, making painful cuts to a lot of good programs. Something had to be done and it's a start to get Minnesota on sound financial footing.

But more needs to be done. Along with the belt tightening, stricter oversight over the state various agencies also needs to occur.

If state investigators can curb the financial abuse that's occurring in these agencies, many of those deserving of such assistance will still be justly served, instead of being left out.