Police say staff at a daycare in Manchester, New Hampshire spiked children’s meals with melatonin – NBC Boston

A New Hampshire daycare owner and three of her employees are facing endangering the welfare of children charges for allegedly putting melatonin in children’s food without their parents’ knowledge or consent.

Manchester police said 52-year-old Sally Dreckmann, 51-year-old Traci Innie, 23-year-old Kaitlin Filardo and 23-year-old Jessica Foster, all of Manchester, turned themselves in after arrest warrants were issued for each of them You are convicted of ten counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

Police said the arrests followed a lengthy investigation that began in November 2023, when investigators received a report of unsafe practices at a home day care center at 316 Armory St.

As a result of their investigation, the Manchester Police Youth Division discovered that melatonin had been sprinkled on the children’s food without their parents’ knowledge or consent. They did not say whether any of the children required hospitalization.

Melatonin is an over-the-counter medication that is often used as a sleep aid. According to the Mayo Clinic, it is generally considered safe for short-term use, but some side effects may occur, including headaches, dizziness, and nausea.

A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found a 600 percent increase in the number of children and teens reported to poison control centers for melatonin ingestion over the last decade.

Police did not release bail information or details about when the suspects are expected to appear in court.