New Hampshire daycare workers sprinkled melatonin in children’s food unbeknownst to parents, police say

The owner and three workers at a New Hampshire daycare are facing charges after they sprinkled melatonin in the food of children they were responsible for.

Sally Dreckmann, 52, the day care owner; and her employees Traci Innie, 51; Kaitlin Filardo, 23; and Jessica Foster, 23, all of Manchester, were charged with 10 counts of endangering the welfare of a child, the Manchester Police Department said.

Authorities said that children’s food that was provided by the in-house daycare was being sprinkled with melatonin without their parent’s knowledge or consent.

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Melatonin is a sleep-aid and is generally safe to use short-term, according to the Mayo Clinic.

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"This is an over-the-counter drug that can be given as a sleep aid, but for it to be given to children without the knowledge or consent of the parents, it’s very concerning," Heather Hamel, a spokesperson for the Manchester Police Department, told WDHD.

The arrests came following a lengthy investigation after authorities were alerted of "unsafe practices" in Nov. 2023 at the daycare.

Police said none of the children required medical attention.