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

The owner of an in-home daycare in New Hampshire and three of her employees are facing charges after they allegedly served melatonin to children without parents’ knowledge and consent

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.