Day care workers fed toddlers gummy bear lollies laced with drugs

Police have charged three day care centre workers after they allegedly gave a group of two-year-old children gummy bears that were laced with the sleep aid melatonin.

Des Plaines police in Chicago said that officers were called to Kiddie Junction on Friday last week.

Police said the children were given the melatonin "in an effort to calm them down before nap time."

Authorities say parents hadn't given permission for their children to receive the melatonin. Police contacted parents and no children became ill.

Three workers face charges of endangering the life or health of a child and battery.

Jessica Heyse (left), Kristen Lauletta (middle) and Ashley Helenfbein (right) have been charged. Photo / News.com.au

The three women who have been charged are 25-year-old Ashley Helfenbein of Chicago, 19-year-old Jessica Heyse of Des Plaines and 32-year-old Kristen Lauletta of Niles.

A manager at the Kiddie Junction Daycare Center told police one of the teachers had been distributing the laced gummy bears without authorisation from parents.

"Allegedly, this was done in an effort to calm them down before nap time," police said in a statement.

The women have given a statement to police, saying they didn't think what they did was inappropriate because melatonin is an over-the-counter sleep aid.

The parents of every child at the daycare centre were notified of what happened.

The investigation is ongoing and the trio are due to face court on April 4.