Indiana day care director accused of handing out melatonin to kids before naptime
Update: Tonya Rachelle Voris pleaded guilty to all 17 charges on Jan. 3, 2024, then was sentenced to 180 days in Hancock County jail on Feb. 2, 2024.
The director of a Cumberland day care is facing charges after allegedly giving melatonin gummies to children without parental consent, according to court documents.
Tonya Rachelle Voris, 52, was director of Kidz Life Childcare Ministry, at New Life Church in Hancock County. She has since been fired from her position and is facing 11 counts of neglect of a dependent and six counts of reckless supervision by a child care provider.
Voris was reported to police by the pastor of the church, who told investigators the day care was responsible for about 40 kids aged 4 and younger, according to the probable cause affidavit for Voris’ arrest.
It began when one parent gave Voris permission to dispense melatonin to help their child fall asleep at nap time. Voris was pleased with the results of the melatonin and began administering it to many children without consent from their parents, according to the affidavit.
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“Voris’ dispensing of melatonin gummies to children without parental consent was reckless due to her being unaware of a potential allergy threat, dietary issues, and unknown side effects harming the children,” the affidavit reads.
An attorney for Voris, listed in online court records, did not return a request for comment before publication of this article.
The assistant day care director reported 17 children were given melatonin gummies without parental consent on more than one occasion from mid-December 2022 to the end of January, according to police.
The bottle of melatonin gummies was turned over to the investigators. Its label advised of possible side effects and allergens and stated for best results the user should allow for more than six hours of sleep. The label also stated it was for children age 4 and older, according to the affidavit.
The assistant day care director provided police with a list of children she believed were given the melatonin without parental consent.
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Parents of the children expressed anger when notified by police. Their children’s behaviors, including sleep patterns and moods, changed during the time frame Voris was administering the gummies, the parents told police.
The parent of one child said she went to see a doctor because the child was abnormally tired. Another parent said their child developed a skin rash, which is a common side effect of melatonin for children under 4, according to police.
The mother of a 3-year-old told police her child had anxiety about going to day care and was afraid.
"Voris dispensed the melatonin gummies to forcefully induce sleep in several children for her personal gain in not having to deal with fussy or problematic children who would not sleep during naptime,” the affidavit reads.
Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana day care director accused of giving kids melatonin at naptime
