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Three teachers in Illinois were arrested after giving toddlers melatonin gummy bears. Melatonin supplements are used to treat insomnia.
Nineteen-year-old Jessica Hayes, 32- year-old Kristen Lauletta and 25-year-old Ashley Helfenbein of the Kiddie Junction Daycare Center were each charged with two counts of endangering the life of a child and two counts of battery, WMAQ-TV reported.
They admitted distributing the gummy bears to the children, ranging from ages 2 to 3, as “an effort to calm [the kids] down before nap time,” the Des Plaines, Illinois police report read.
The police report said that the three employees did not think that giving the gummy bears was inappropriate, as it was an “over-the-counter sleeping aid.”
All parents of the children have been informed of the incident. Kiddie Junction Daycare Center has not issued a statement over the matter as of writing.
Hayes, Lauletta and Helfenbein are expected to appear in court next month. Police said that the three may face additional charges. Katrina Hallare /ra
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