An Ottawa father is outraged after a day care center suspended his 2-year-old daughter for bringing a cheese sandwich to school.
Randy Murray said he had given the sandwich to his daughter, Faith, who brought it in a plastic bag to the Centre de l’enfant aux 4 Vents. She was suspended almost immediately for violating the center’s “no outside food” policy, CBC News reported.
“By the time she was two steps in one of the teachers saw it, handed it back to me and then the next thing you know, I’m told we’re suspended,” Mr. Murray said. “I didn’t realize it was so strict that a two-year-old would be suspended.
“I thought they were joking, actually,” he said.
Day care director Deb Ducharme said the center makes all of the snacks to ensure children and workers who have allergies are protected. Outside food not containing peanuts warrants a three-day suspension, while food containing peanuts will get a child expelled.
“We do have children with multiple allergies and the parents are more than happy that we have all these things in place to protect the children,” she said. “We don’t know if that [food] touched peanut butter before being brought in.”
Mr. Murray called the policy illogical.
“They freaked out. If I got a warning, I’d admit my mistake and move on. But it seems they want to penalize the parents. There’s no logic to it. I’m going to the media because I think people have to speak up when something’s fishy,” he told the Ottawa Sun.
The father is currently looking for new child care options for his children, including his 4-year-old son.
“I’m daddy day care until we find another location,” he told the National Post.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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