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On August 12, 2025, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received a complaint alleging there is hardly any food provided to them. Compliance Inspector (CI) Heather Radney conducted an investigation of the allegation and found it to be substantiated based on the following information:
5 CSR 25-400.190 (1)(A) - The provider shall supply and serve nourishing food according to the Meal and Snack Food Chart provided in this rule.
AND
5 CSR 25-400.190 (1)(G) - The acceptable food components and serving sizes for meals and snacks are outlined in the following chart for each age group. Menus and amounts served shall be based on this chart.
On August 19, 2025, Compliance Inspector (CI) Heather Radney conducted an interview with Provider Candice Keith. She reported she serves the required food components and portion sizes as required. She participates in the food program. No children are hungry. She provides seconds when asked. She uses metal spoons to serve food. Today she served hot pockets with pineapple and milk. The spaghetti sauce in the hot pocket was the vegetable and the meat in the hot pocket was the protein.
On August 19, 2025, CI Radney conducted an unannounced inspection of the facility. All children were asleep on cots at 1:00 p.m. The table was not wiped clean and the floor was not swept. There were crumbs of what appeared to be breading left behind on the table and floor. There was what appeared to be miniature hot pockets left on a toaster oven tray. There did not appear to be pineapple food waste, or packaging waste, left behind in the sink, trash, on the floor or on the table.
On September 18, 2025, CI Radney conducted an interview with Provider Candice Keith. She serves lunch at 11:30. Today she served Totinos pizza rolls, corn, peaches and milk. There was no corn left over. It was served out of a tupperware dish because it was left over from Monday. She doesn't use serving spoons; she just uses a metal spoon. She knows the serving sizes for all required food components because she has been doing this for 24 years. Candice would not or could not verbalize what any of the serving sizes were supposed to be. She gives them more than the serving size required, because she just serves two spoonfuls and then seconds if someone wants.
On September 18, 2025, CI Radney conducted an unannounced inspection at the facility. Children were napping on cots at 11:46 a.m. The table was not wiped clean and the floor was not swept. There were crumbs of what appeared to be breading left behind on the table and floor. There were peaches on the floor. There did not appear to be corn food waste, or packaging waste, left behind in the sink, trash, on the floor or on the table. The metal spoon Candice referred to appeared to be a normal to large serving spoon. The metal spoon would hold approximately two tablespoons.
On September 23, 2025, CI Radney conducted an interview with Assistant Gina Lyle. She prepares lunch around 11:15-11:30 a.m. She uses a spoon to put the food on a plate. It is a regular spoon; a tablespoon. She doesn't know about serving sizes or portions. She is making bananas, green beans, milk and macaroni and cheese and chicken strips. Today she will be cutting up two bananas for four children so each child will receive half of a banana. For the chicken strips she cooks extra, so each child will get a chicken strip and a half. Candice serves enough food. She has not observed children appear to be hungry. On September 23, 2025, CI Radney conducted an interview with Parent A. Her child always came home hungry. She only attended three days. On September 23, 2025, CI Radney conducted an interview with Parent B. She assumes enough food is provided. Her children do not complain of being hungry. On September 23, 2025, CI Radney attempted to reach Parent C and Parent D. Voicemails were left.
On September 15, 2025, CI Radney received email correspondence from Melanie Blockburger, Manager of the Child and Adult Care Food Program: "I have included Aubrie Owen on this email, she is over Child Nutrition Services. The family day care homes follows the same food guidelines as centers so as Susan said, if Hot Pockets don't have the proper documentation, they would not qualify and would not meet the component guidelines. Aubrie, would you please respond to this group email as if you have had any monitoring issues with Candice."
On September 24, 2025, CI Radney received email correspondence from Aubrie Owen, Director of the Child Nutrition Service, Inc.: "Based on Candice's report of to you of the meal she served that day, her lunch will be disallowed. Pizza Rolls are not creditable. She will also receive additional training on creditable foods and required amounts."
On October 10, 2025, CI Radney interviewed Candice Keith. The metal spoon was a big serving spoon from a silverware set. The spoonful would equal approximately one ounce.
Based on observations and discussions with Candice Keith, it appears that she is not following the required serving portions for each food component as evidenced by her inability to verbalize the required portion sized when asked, and reporting to use a metal serving spoon to serve "two scoops". It is unknown how much "two scoops" equals and whether it is enough to fulfill the required amount of food. Additionally, hot pockets and Totinos pizza rolls are not creditable foods, according to the Child Nutrition Service, Inc. Director Aubrie Owen and Child and Adult Care Food Program Manager Melanie Blockburger. This indicates that on August 18, 2025, Candice was not compliant with serving a vegetable, bread and protein with lunch and on September 19, 2025, Candice was not compliant with serving a protein and bread. Finally, there is no evidence that on August 18, 2025, Candice served a fruit with lunch and on September 19, 2025, there is no evidence that Candice served a vegetable with lunch.
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