NEENAH (NBC 26) — A Neenah daycare worker has been charged with child neglect after allegedly giving melatonin gummies to children under 2 years old without parental permission over a two-month period.
Annalee Salas Nitz, 49, of Neenah, faces one count of neglecting a child after admitting to investigators that she gave melatonin to children in her care at the Neenah-Menasha YMCA daycare center.
According to the criminal complaint filed in Winnebago County Circuit Court, the investigation began when her coworker reported "suspicious behavior" on Oct. 10, 2025. The witness alleges they observed Nitz approach a child, remove their pacifier, place something in the child's mouth, return the pacifier, and tuck the child in.
On Oct. 14, the same coworker says they found a "small, red gummy" on the ground and later discovered a bottle labeled "Kids' Melatonin" in a cabinet near the naptime area.
After getting police involved, authorities contacted the parents of all 10 children in Nitz's care and confirmed that none had given permission for their children to receive melatonin. Several parents reported that their children had appeared lethargic over the past couple of months, according to the complaint.
During a Nov. 11 interview with police, Nitz initially denied the allegations but eventually admitted to giving melatonin to the children.
"I'm guilty of it," Nitz told investigators, according to the complaint.
She acknowledged that none of the parents had given permission and said she would be "furious if someone did this to her child."
Nitz told investigators this wasn't a mistake because she "planned" it, calling it a "bad choice" and describing the situation as a "very painful and humbling lesson."
Nitz is scheduled to appear in Winnebago County Circuit Court on Jan. 6, 2026, before Judge Scott C. Woldt. The state has offered a plea deal of 12 months probation or 90 days in jail in exchange for a guilty or no contest plea.
If convicted of the Class A misdemeanor charge, Nitz faces up to nine months in jail and/or a $10,000 fine.
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