PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The director of Multnomah County’s Preschool for All program has resigned amid a controversy.

The now-former Preschool For All Director Leslee Barnes resigned under ethics concerns and an accusation that she wasted state dollars while running her own childcare service, as originally reported by Willamette Week.

The Preschool for All program, of which Barnes was the director, is run out of Multnomah County. Though it is distinct from Oregon’s Preschool Promise program, the state program is related to the controversy surrounding Barnes.

Records show Barnes’ North Portland childcare operation collected hundreds of thousands of dollars but only cared for a fraction of the children the money was designed to help.

Jeff Myers is an advocate with Save Oregon Schools, who was the whistleblower who helped break the story. The controversy with Barnes is just the tip of the iceberg, he said.

“This money should be going to help families in need and children who need preschool, and it looks like millions didn’t, and we need to fix that,” Myers said.

In late July, the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office released the results of a bombshell audit which found the state’s Preschool Promise program issued more than $1 million in wasted payments, highlighting providers with chronic low enrollment between 2021 and 2023.

The SOS report doesn’t name those providers. However, financial and enrollment records show “Provider 2” is an exact match for Village Childcare, owned by Barnes, according to SOS documents.

Using those records, Myers said it’s clear Village Childcare received more than $800,000 from the state to care for 63 children over three years, but only nine were enrolled.

“By the award amounts, the amounts that they were paid during each of those school years, and the enrollment that they reported, it was easy. There’s only one combination of those in these public records that I received, so it took all of a few seconds to figure out who they were,” Myers explained.

KOIN 6 News reached out to Barnes for comment and we have not heard back.

Barnes served in the director role for Preschool for All since April 2021 with a salary of about $165,000.

Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson is going to fill the role temporarily and has directed her chief operating officer to review conflict-of-interest policies.

“This community needs to have confidence and trust in both the management and the oversight of the Preschool for All program, and by extension, the broader county,” said Multnomah County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards. “An internal prob would not have the credibility with the broader public, it’s like management investigating themselves.”

Brim-Edwards said she called on Chair Vega Pederson to remove Barnes prior to her resignation. Brim-Edwards is now asking for an independent investigation.

In response to KOIN 6’s request for comment, Chair Vega Pederson released the following statement:

“The County became aware of details from the State’s recent Audits Division investigation on Monday, July 28 in a media request from Willamette Week. The Secretary of State review was an investigation of a state program. The County has not received any notice, records or findings from the Secretary of State or this investigation beyond what those agencies reported publicly.

“Responsible use of public dollars and accountability to the public are central to Multnomah County values. Our priority at all times is the integrity and success of programs that change lives.

“This situation has raised questions about conflicts of interest and compliance with ethics rules for me, the Board and the public. I’m glad for the partnership of COO Chris Neal who is leading a broader review of the County’s conflict of interest policies, compliance, and any changes or training in follow-up. I hired Neal to bring a fresh perspective to the County, and have full confidence in his ability to recommend the right course of action on this matter.

“At this very critical time for each of the programs providing early learning opportunities to this community, my focus is the thousands of children and families whose lives are enriched by our efforts and the work being done every day to create a healthy and thriving ecosystem for early childhood education and enrichment in Multnomah County.”