Woman Gets 21Years in Jail For Drugging Kids at Daycare

The woman who grabbed world headlines after her arrest for leaving numerous young children alone at her unlicensed day care, giving them melatonin to sleep while she went for a tan or to work out, was sentenced  to more than 21 years in prison after a long litany of sorrow and anger from many tearful parents — and her own tearful apology to them.The emotional, daylong sentencing hearing came nearly a year after police investigators found seven children under age 5 drugged and unattended at  Little Giggles Day Care while she was at a tanning salon.

A Circuit Judge imposed a sentence of 21 years and four months at the close of an emotional day of testimony by the parents and family of numerous children suffering lingering issues with sleep cycles, trust and more. Prosecutors had requested a 35-year prison term.

In her day care operation, prosecutors said,

she would tell parents what they wanted to hear, that she was licensed and certified to care for children and that she had CPR training. When a parent expressed concern about her child's medical needs, she responded that would be fine, she could handle it, she was a trained RN. None of this was true.

Parents were told they could not pick up or drop off children between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

because this was 'nap time' for the children,and it would disrupt all of them.