"perhaps it would be better if you found more suitable care..."

[bobbybob]

Read the letter from ds's Pre School I got today.

Despite me providing a Doctors letter, research from the NZ Ministry of Health, and having the support of Allergy New Zealand, they still reckon their research (which they haven't shown me) is better.

Thus they will continue to serve up meals that contain peanut products and if I'm not happy - well I just need to take my son out.

I have written to my MP, it's election time and one of the platforms for the Govt is Early years education for all.

I nearly threw up when i read the bit about all their children being special - well obviously the "normal" children are more special.

MP and Ministry of Ed are onto it. Licensee now claims they have never had peanuts. So I obviously imagined seeing those tins.

Much playing telephone tag today - but no progress.

If they deny everything and have removed all the evidence what on earth shall I do? It would be much better for them to admit it and tell me how they have changed things - even if they say "but we were going to do it anyway" to save face.

Apparently the lady that wrote the "please leave" letter was not in full possession of all the facts.

sue the bstrds bobbybob ...
How dare they question your integrity like this ... do they think you imagined the whole thing???????
on your behalf!

you won't be able to prove it happened but you can get a guarantee they won't be using it in future, which is what matters most. You'll have to keep a camera handy and snap away if you see another wrong can.

I don't think the woman (licensee) telling the ministry knew I had seen the tins, she kept going on about how the food for the other children "only contains traces of nuts". But my second letter said exactly which tins I had seen. I am sure the nursery staff have no idea all this is going on, so I might be able to get into the kitchen again under the guise of checking the snacks "as some manufacturers have changed recipes lately".

As the woman from the HO that wrote to me is her employee, ultimately the buck stops with the licensee.

I'm am getting a response from the ministry tomorrow. I will meet the licensee with a mediator (disability background) if I don't agree with the response.

Trying to stay pretty calm, as I don't want to end up in hospital again.

didn't realise you'd been in hospital on top of verything else. Hope you've fully recovered. At least now the licensee you know who to go to if it goes pear shaped again.

Yes, I had flu and then got pneumonia, in hospital for 4 days. My mum came over from the UK and ran the house, I am working again now and mum goes home on Sunday .

Still waiting for the next stage - gosh glad it's not life threatening or anything

does that mean you haven't got the ministry response yet or are you still waiting for a meeting? Hope you're fully recovered.

The ministry had sent their understanding to the licensee with a note to reply urgently if anything was wrong. They sent the same thing to the MP who forwarded it to me.

Several of the points were total crap, which I had pointed out in my letter to HO. The "more suitable care" letter the followed. Proving they hadn't actually read my letter properly.

When I contacted the ministry to say they had totally got the wrong end of the stick, were lying about the peanut products as I had seen them etc. the ministry said that the licensee had not contacted them to say anything was wrong.

The ministry was interested in the fact that the food I saw would need preparing and they were not licensed for that sort of food preparation. I guess this is the real reason they are denying I saw the peanut stuff. Nobody gives a rats arse about the allergic kid, but don't reheat a tin of hot dogs without a license or you'll get into big trouble.

They have had another response from the licensee but my Spam killer ate the copy I was forwarded. (obviously only lets veggie spam in) I am awaiting the snail mail version, which surprise, surprise, hasn't shown up yet.

I rang ministry today - lady was out of office. I will call again tomorrow.

Only one week of term left, but I want it sorted for next term - it's too stressful doing 14 hours teaching with only 10 hours childcare.

Could anyone fax you the missing document, either at home or where you teach?

If they'd have to prepare the food you saw and they aren't allowed to do so it is another way of getting them to stop using it. Maybe that's why the ministry is interested.

I've now got the missing document. It's from the ministry and states that.

I did see the tins (yeah!)
They were 6 months old
They were to show parents the sort of food other nurseries from this chain serve (yeah - did they think I fell out of a tree, if they were for demonstration purposes surely the staff would have know that)
They were only 475 grammes and therefore wouldn't have fed the children (Don't understand this point - I think this is more for the benefit of keeping their existing license from the ministry than being useful to me.)

It then says that the food prepared at xxx(nursery) xxx(my town) does not contain and has never contained peanut based products. However they really need to be running these statements past a lawyer as the exact point is that none of the food is supposed to be prepared AT the centre. Therefore shouldn't that read prepared for xxxnursery xxxtown?

I am writing to the nursery on Monday to ask for an apology for wasting my time by allowing people who obviously don't know company policy to write in response to complaint letters, a clarification of where the food is prepared and what it contains, and another apology for my ds's missed education and socialisation.

The point about the size of the tins may be that as there wasn't enough to serve all the kids they wouldn't be used because they only serve one meal to all the kids? Don't think much of that line of argument. Why would parents want to know what food was used in other nurseries? Why didn't they just have labels from the cans or menus rather than risking a can being used in error?

Take half a dozen deep breaths and try to write more in sorrow than in anger. Not that I'm much good at that myself!

I think I will just write

Please confirm that all the food served to children at xxx is free of all peanut products."

Have realised that I don't need an apology - I just want to work 15 hours a week with 15 hours childcare! rather than the 10 I have at the moment.

He's there now - happy as larry (whoever larry is)

I am at home while a lovely lady does all my cleaning.

For one week - my life is how I would like it. I hope it lasts.

its progress hope it continues

Ds now tuckered out in bed, he had a great day. It was some kids birthday - so goodness knows what was brought in, but ds said he didn't have any cake, just watched the candles and ate a pea!

Could you ask the nursery to warn you when a party happens so you can take in a suitable treat or maybe leave one there (a longlife treat) so that when this happens next time he can have a little something.

I know that doesn't address what was in the cake -but it would give him a treat

I don't think they have any idea if a parent will bring something either - but I will leave a kinnerton choccie bar with them for emergencies.

Ds couldn't give a rats really - he is laid back - he knows no other life. Sang "happy birthday to you" really loudly and then wandered off to the sandpit while the other kids ate I think.

At another place we went they had a playdoh "cake" with relevant number of candles. Much better IMO

I always used to leave a "treat" box, clearly marked with child's name. Its amazing how often some place hand out chocolate/ sweets. Even the best places (as far as allergies go) never seem to be bothered about buying something they can all eat Even when they'd seen "safe" sweets they still couldn't be bothered to get them!

missed you around, lately, hope you're just having a break and not ill again.

Just on holiday - had a Thomas the Tank Engine theme holiday which DS loved, and self catering so no probs with food. We had some lovely lunches out where they made him his own special plate of food. We found the organic cafe the worst - not a single thing on the kids platter was Bob friendly. On those days he had his lunchbox.

Ds even went to his first birthday party (well his first where it was someone else's birthday).