Church Daycare Director Pleads Not Guilty for Giving Children Sleep Aid Without Parental Consent
Police have charged a church daycare employee for allegedly giving over a dozen children melatonin to calm them down without parental consent. 
In mid-January, a church in Cumberland, Indiana, fired Tonya Rachelle Voris, 52, as the executive director of Kidz Life Childcare Ministry after she admitted to giving melatonin gummies to over a dozen kids to help them sleep. She is now facing 17 charges—11 counts of neglect of a dependent and six counts of reckless supervision by a childcare provider.
Kidz Life Childcare cares for about 40 children ranging from infants to 4 years old. The daycare is a ministry of New Life Church.
Last week, New Life Pastor David Faulk said in an affidavit that the assistant director at the daycare notified him Voris was giving children pediatric-strength melatonin without parental consent.
Court documents say the medicating began in mid-December when a parent gave the daycare permission to give their child a specific dosage of pediatric-strength melatonin during a two-hour nap. The documents said Voris was pleased with how the melatonin worked and proceeded to provide varying doses of Vicks Pure Zzzs Kidz chamomile-and-lavender-flavored melatonin gummies to children under 4 and as young as 1 year.
In the document, it says Voris gave some children segments of the candies and others full doses. She continued her practice until January when the church terminated her.
Access to MinistryWatch content is free. However, we hope you will support our work with your prayers and financial gifts. To make a donation, click here.
Each gummy contains 0.5 milligrams of melatonin. The directions say the gummies are for children ages four and up.
The product’s instructions suggest a dosage of up to two gummies a half-hour before bedtime and advise six hours of uninterrupted sleep after use.
Cumberland Police interviewed most of the parents of the 17 children Faulk believed received the sleep medication.
“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,’” which was characterized by several staff members as their “break-time,” the police said.
Several parents told investigators their children experienced side effects from the unauthorized doses.
Faulk said he fired Voris on January 30, a day after the melatonin use came to his attention.
On Monday, Voris appeared in the Hancock Superior Court for her initial hearing and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
She was escorted across the street to the jail before being released on a $15,000 surety bond.
Voris’ hearing is scheduled for April 5.
