Special Investigation Report # 2011D0732010

Parent 3 and Parent 4 both expressed concern about some of the food their children
are served. Parent 4 stated that Tanja may feed her own children differently and
then feed child care children peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She also will often
serve hot dogs and mac and cheese. Parent 4 stated that her children sometimes
come home hungry and they tell her they only had “string cheese” for dinner.
Adam Robarge and I asked Ms. Burfiend about these allegations. She stated that
she oftentimes will just give the children a bowl of cereal or a piece of string cheese
when they are just arriving or waking up from a nap and she is “running out the
door”. She added that she will then give them a dinner that meets the food program
requirements when they get back to her house. For example, she will give them a
peanut butter and jelly sandwich with some fruit and/or vegetables. She serves
them milk at every meal also. I asked her how often this occurs and she replied
“about two times a month.”
Ms. Burfiend participates in the USDA Child Care Food Program through the Child
Care Connections sponsor. On April 22, 2011 I spoke with Pamela Ward, Director
of Child Care Connections. Ms. Ward contacted Ms. Burfiend’s worker who makes
three unscheduled stops a year to observe her food service practices. Ms. Ward
stated that they have made unscheduled visits at various times during the week,
including on weekends, and have not observed any problems in the food she is
serving children.
APPLICABLE RULE
R 400.1931 Food preparation and service.
ANALYSIS:
CONCLUSION:
(1) Each child shall be provided with nutritional and sufficient
food as required by the minimum meal requirements of the child
care food program, as administered by the Michigan department
of education, based on the national research council's
recommended dietary allowances for appropriate age groups,
unless parents provide the food.
Information was not obtained to establish that Tanja Burfiend is
not providing children with nutritional and sufficient food.
VIOLATION NOT ESTABLISHED
ADDITIONAL FINDINGS:
INVESTIGATION:
In a telephone interview on April 20, 2011, Parent 4 stated that recently she became
concerned when she observed Ms. Burfiend driving children in her vehicle with “two
sets of children double-buckled”. I asked Ms. Burfiend about her driving practices
and how often and when she takes child care children in her vehicle. She stated
that she occasionally takes children in her vehicle when she needs to take her sons
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