³ÉÈËXÕ¾

MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Parents accuse Lynnwood daycare of drugging children before naptime

Dec 11, 2023, 4:00 AM

Image: A sign can be seen for the "Little Hands Big Hearts Early Learning" daycare in Lynnwood can ...

A sign can be seen for the "Little Hands Big Hearts Early Learning" daycare in Lynnwood can be seen in late 2023. (Image courtesy of ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ 7)

(Image courtesy of ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ 7)

LYNNWOOD, Wash. — Some parents are furious after they say their kids were given Benadryl at a Lynnwood daycare without their knowledge.

Three parents have filed a civil lawsuit against  The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department is investigating.

“I believe that my son was drugged for over one-third of his life,” said parent Rachel Mitchell-Young.



She had been taking her 3-year-old son to the daycare for more than a year. One day, she knew something was off.

“He would be tired. Sometimes he would fall back asleep. He would be really groggy,” she explained.

On September 22, Mitchell-Young says her world was turned upside down.

“All of the parents received some frantic text messages from the daycare operator did CPS had come in and found Benadryl and she was being shut down.”

The text from the owner, Shanine Lofton, says she’s been accused of giving the kids Benadryl to go to sleep.

Mitchell-Young tells ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ 7 child protective services interviewed her toddler, and he described it as “purple candy” that the kids would be given before lunchtime.

“I started crying immediately because I never just never imagined that anyone could hurt kids that way and then it all clicked.”

Mitchell-Young says she trusted the daycare owner, calling her a mutual friend.

“Even though the social worker found the evidence, my son said it I just I just wanted one more piece of evidence because it was so hard to imagine somebody hurting my baby,” she explained.

Parents, including Mitchell-Young, decided to drug test their kids. All the tests revealed traces of diphenhydramine, also known as Benadryl.

Mitchell-young was shocked, saying her son had a very high level of diphenhydramine in his system.

“It was like reliving the nightmare all over again and it’s just it’s been a really hard couple of months with a lot of crying and a lot of healing that needs to happen for our family,” she said.

She’s urging other parents to be careful when choosing a daycare and to follow any gut feelings.

“If you see something that worries you, you know if your child is tired or coming home groggy, don’t write it off into that worry and into that fear,” she said.



³ÉÈËXÕ¾ 7 has reached out to “Little Hands Big Hearts Early Learning” and their lawyer for comment.

According to the Yelp account, 

MyNorthwest News

(Photo courtesy of SPD.)...

Tom Brock

Shooting in Seattle’s Seward Park injures teenager

Seattle police detectives are investigating a shooting in Seattle's Seward Park that left a teenager injured.

36 minutes ago

paralysis center pnw pushing boundaries...

Luke Duecy

Pushing Boundaries saved after community raises $200K to keep PNW’s lone paralysis center open

Pushing Boundaries was on the brink of shutting down. The nonprofit needed to raise $200,000 in just a few days in order to keep its doors open.

3 hours ago

pickleball courts...

Julia Dallas

Pickleball courts to replace Seattle’s sole homeless RV parking lot

New pickleball courts will transform Seattle's RV parking space, addressing business concerns.

4 hours ago

memorial day...

MyNorthwest Staff

What’s open during Memorial day in Washington?

Discover which stores and services are open this Memorial Day in Washington, ensuring a hassle-free holiday experience.

5 hours ago

watch streaming theaters memorial day weekend...

Frank Sumrall

New on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and theaters: Your Memorial Day weekend viewing guide

For those staying in and not traveling this Memorial Day weekend, here’s what to look out for in terms of the best new shows and movies to watch.

17 hours ago

Washington windstorm - King County...

Aaron Granillo

WA congressional delegation asks Trump again for ‘bomb cyclone’ aid

Washington's Congressional Delegation seeks Trump's support for disaster declaration after November's devastating bomb cyclone.

18 hours ago

Parents accuse Lynnwood daycare of drugging children before naptime