Cheese Sandwich Causes A Toddler To Be Suspended From Daycare

A somewhat bizarre incident happened at a Canadian daycare on Monday.

Every parent has had this happen to them at least once. You give your child a snack, think they have eaten it, and then later find it stashed away for safe keeping. This is what happened to a dad who dropped his two-year-old daughter off at Centre de l’enfant aux 4 Vente in Barrhaven, Ottawa.

Faith Murray entered the daycare center with her father Randy Murray like she does every other day. However, on this day, she had a special treat in her pocket… a cheese sandwich. Upon entering the classroom, her teachers saw the sandwich, confiscated it, and then proceeded to suspend the toddler from the daycare.

Randy said that he knew Faith had the sandwich in the car, but did not realize that she had stuck it in her pocket. “Faith must have snuck a cheese sandwich into her pocket, into her hand, and nobody saw it, and went into the classroom,” Randy told CBC News. “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.”

The daycare has a zero-tolerance policy for bringing outside food and drinks into the center. The reason for the policy is to avoid any allergic reactions from the children who have severe food allergies. Parents have to sign a document stating that they have read the policy when their children start attending the center, and the policy is also posted on the front door of the building.

“We need to ensure their well-being and safety,” the daycare director, Deb Ducharme, explained to the Ottawa Sun. “Most parents are comfortable with our rules because it creates a safe environment for their children.” She also said that a newsletter was sent out in January reminding the parents of the policy. According to the policy, if a child brings in an item that does not contain peanuts, they are suspended for three days. If the item contains peanuts, they are immediately expelled.

Randy was told that Faith would be suspended for three days, but that his four-year-old son could continue coming. “I thought they were joking, actually,” Randy said. “I was like ‘Why would I bring one kid home and be home from doing work and everything… I’d bring them both home and that’s the end of that.”

Randy said that he does not like the way the situation was handled, and feels they should have received a warning before being suspended. He is not considering pulling both children from the center.

[Image via Wikimedia Commons]