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CUMBERLAND — The state agency that licenses and inspects Indiana childcare facilities says they can’t take action against a Cumberland childcare ministry for allegedly dispensing melatonin to children without parental consent.
The state cannot take action because they are an Unlicensed Registered Ministry that doesn’t accept CCDF federal vouchers.
Unlicensed does not mean illegal. In Indiana, there are many different types of childcare facilities including licensed centers, licensed homes and registered ministries.
Registered ministries are registered with the state’s Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) and have to follow basic health and safety requirements. Registered ministries that do not take federal vouchers do not have to follow child-to-staff ratios or meet supervision requirements.
“As such, we have no authority to take action on issues involving administering medication, vitamins or supplements,” said Marni Lemons, FSSA’s Deputy Communications Director, in an email to WRTV.
On the other hand, the childcare worker has been charged.
Court records show Tonya Voris, 52, has pleaded not guilty and is due back in Hancock County court on April 5. Voris was fired last month as the executive director of Kidz Life Childcare Ministry and faces 17 charges, 11 counts of neglect of a dependent and six counts of reckless supervision by a childcare provider.
Had the melatonin incident occurred at a licensed childcare center, licensed childcare home or a registered ministry that accepts federal vouchers, FSSA would have the authority to take enforcement action against the facility.
“Licensed programs have health and safety laws and rules that cover medications, safe environments and documentation surrounding medications,” said Lemons. “The requirement to provide a safe environment includes ensuring that medication is locked up or made inaccessible to children and that any physician order, parental written permission or over-the-counter directions are followed and medication is correctly administered.”
The state inspects registered ministries twice a year. If they do not comply with health and safety requirements, the state can revoke their registration.
When FSSA is inspecting a facility, either during a routine inspection or looking into a complaint, they look for whether staff are properly administering medications.
Read more from WRTV here
