Day care worker accused of giving child melatonin before nap time

FORT PAYNE, Ala. (WHNT) - An Alabama daycare is under investigation after reports that an employee gave a child medication without parental consent.

According to a letter sent by the owner of The Roc Learning Center to parents, that employee has been fired.

Bonnie Walters' 3-year-old son attends the Fort Payne daycare.

“I’m a single mother,” said Walters. “I work and go to college and it is terrifying leaving your kids anywhere with anyone so you put a lot of trust in these places and hope they’ll do as best a job as you can.”

She said she had never really had any problems with the daycare until now.

The Alabama Department of Human Resources said Thursday that the center self-reported that an employee had given at least one child the sleep aid melatonin.

Walters said the owner told her it happened in the K-3 classroom during nap time.

“I do believe her actions were wrong and she should be held responsible. To what extent, that’s not for me to say. The daycare handled it the way they were supposed to. They found the problem and removed the problem,” explained Walters.

DHR Public Information Officer Barry Spear said that giving any sort of medication to a child without written parental consent is against the minimum standards for daycare and nighttime centers in Alabama.

“Children can have allergic reactions, can have different kind of reactions to medication that’s why it’s up to parents to give permission, written permission, to a center before any kind of medication is administered to a child, could be prescribed or over the counter,” said Spear.

Spear said if they find out that there’s a lack of understanding of the rules at The Roc Learning Center, there will be additional training required there.

He added that the investigation is expected to complete within the next week.