Woolston childcare centre chemical incident

The story so far

On Friday 5 December 2025, a corrosive chemical was mistakenly used instead of detergent on a waterslide at a Woolston childcare centre, and several people, including children, were hospitalised.^{5 Dec 2025} Police said a kitchen steriliser had been mistaken for dishwashing liquid and poured onto the waterslide, and the childcare company has admitted it failed on safety.^{6 Dec 2025} Seven people, including five children, were burned and have since been discharged from hospital.^{6, 8 Dec 2025} The centre, Kindercare in Woolston, has reopened, and the company has removed detergent from all of its centres.^{8 Dec 2025}

Latest

Kindercare's Woolston centre has reopened after the incident, which left five children and two staff with chemical burns.^{8 Dec 2025} The childcare provider has removed detergent from all of its centres.^{8 Dec 2025}

Key moments

1. 5 Dec 2025Corrosive chemical mistakenly used instead of detergent on a Woolston childcare waterslide.
2. 6 Dec 2025Police say kitchen steriliser was mistaken for dishwashing liquid; company admits safety failure.
3. 6 Dec 2025Seven people, including five children, discharged from hospital after chemical burns.
4. 8 Dec 2025Woolston childcare centre reopens; detergent removed from all company centres.

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.