LARA Summarily Suspends the Family Child Care Home Certificate

of Registration of Sandra LaFortune

Contact: Michael Loepp 517-373-9280
Agency: Licensing and Regulatory Affairs

For Immediate Release - The Michigan Department of Licensing and

Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Community and Health Systems (BCHS),
issued an order of summary suspension and notice of intent to revoke the child
care certificate of registration of Kent County family child care home provider,
Sandra LaFortune, Registration #DF410298088, at 122 Wadsworth Street SW,
Wyoming, MI 49548. This action resulted from a recent investigation of a
complaint of the family child care home.
The July 15, 2015, complaint investigation found violations of the Child Care
Organizations Act and administrative rules regarding family and group child care
homes. LARA took emergency action to protect the health, welfare, and safety of
children.
Effective 6:00 p.m., July 15, 2015, the summary suspension order prohibits
Sandra LaFortune from operating a family child care home at 122 Wadsworth
Street SW, Wyoming, MI 49548, or at any other address or
location. Accordingly, she may not accept children for care after that date and
time. The order also requires Sandra LaFortune to inform all of the parents of
children in her care that her certificate of registration has been suspended and
that she can no longer provide child care.
Sandra LaFortune has held a certificate of registration to operate a family child
care home since November 20, 2008. The certificate of registration was for 6
children.

Michigan law defines a family child care home as a private home in which one
but fewer than seven minor children are given care and supervision for periods of
less than 24 hours a day unattended by a parent or legal guardian, except
children related to an adult member of the family by blood, marriage, or
adoption. Family child care home includes a home in which care is given to an
unrelated minor child for more than four weeks during a calendar year. A family
child care home does not include an individual providing babysitting services for
another individual. As used in this paragraph, providing babysitting services
means caring for a child on behalf of the childs parent or guardian when the
annual compensation for providing those services does not equal or exceed
$600.00 or an amount that would according to the internal revenue code of 1986
obligate the childs parent or guardian to provide a form 1099-MISC to the
individual for compensation paid during the calendar year for those services.
Sandra LaFortune has the right to appeal this suspension. The case will be
forwarded to the Michigan Administrative Hearing System (MAHS) for a hearing
date.
For more information on disciplinary actions taken by the health professional
licensing boards within LARA, please go
to http://www.michigan.gov/healthlicense.
For more information about LARA, please visit www.michigan.gov/lara
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