Ex-Day Care Director Fed Children Melatonin, Police Say

A former church day care director in Indiana faces charges of neglect of a dependent and reckless supervision, accused of feeding melatonin gummies to more than a dozen young children without their parents’ consent, court records show.

Tonya Rachelle Voris, 52, was arrested last week after the church’s pastor notified the Cumberland Police Department that Ms. Voris had handed out “pediatric strength melatonin” to children ages 1 to 4 years old for several weeks, according to court documents.

David M. Faulk, the pastor of New Life Church in Cumberland, Ind., said in a court affidavit filed last week that a staff member at the Kidz Life Childcare Ministry day care had notified him that children were being given melatonin. According to court documents, the behavior began in mid-December, when a parent gave the day care permission to give the sleep aid to their child during the scheduled daily two-hour nap. The practice continued through January, the documents said.

Mr. Faulk was told that Ms. Voris “was pleased with the effects of the melatonin and began administering the melatonin to a large number of other children without parental consent,” according to the affidavit.

Ms. Voris gave the children varying doses of Vicks Pure Zzzs Kidz chamomile-and-lavender-flavored melatonin gummies. Some children received segments of the candies while others got full doses, according to court documents. The product’s instructions advise a dosage of up to two gummies a half-hour before bedtime and suggest allowing time for six hours of uninterrupted sleep after use. Each gummy contains 0.5 milligrams of melatonin. The product’s label says the gummies are intended for children ages 4 and up.

Ms. Voris was fired on Jan. 30, a day after the melatonin use came to Mr. Faulk’s attention, he said in the affidavit.

During the weeks their children had been given melatonin at day care, parents told detectives, their children exhibited symptoms such as difficulty sleeping through the night, erratic behavior, irritability and headaches, according to court documents. One parent said their 1-year-old child developed a skin rash.

The day care, an “unlicensed, registered ministry in Indiana,” according to court documents, advertises itself on social media as a place “where adventure begins.”

Ms. Voris was released on a $15,000 bond, court records show.

Christopher L. Isom, her lawyer, could not immediately be reached for comment on Thursday. Ms. Voris was served with 17 orders of protection earlier this week, court records show. She is scheduled to appear in court in April.