Day Care Closes After Employee ‘Mistakenly’ Serves Bleach to Children

Bright Horizons, a New York City day care, has reportedly closed its Columbus Circle location after an employee allegedly served children water mixed with a cleaning solution. Luckily, an adult noticed the mistake before any children were harmed, but the incident has left parents frustrated and concerned. Families were reportedly told they would need to find alternative child care, which is never easy on short notice. This closure also comes on the heels of another staff-related scandal earlier this year.

According to CBS News, the incident occurred on October 27, 2025, when a staff member filled a water pitcher with a cleaning solution that was then served to children during snack time. The Health Department confirmed that Bright Horizons was shut down by the city for exposing children to a toxic chemical.

A spokesperson for the day care said that a teacher also drank the contaminated water and realized something was wrong. The facility contacted poison control afterward. While one parent said their child received medical treatment, the spokesperson downplayed the severity, telling CBS News, “A mistake was made and to portray it as more than that would be misleading. There really is no story here.”

Parents, however, disagree. One mother, speaking anonymously, said she was told she needed to move her child to another day care without any explanation. “This was not communicated to us at all in any way, and it’s just really bad practice,” she said.

Bright Horizons released a brief statement acknowledging the error, saying, “The safety and well-being of the children in our care is our highest priority. Unfortunately, the staff member had mistakenly filled the pitcher from a dispenser which contained a diluted cleaning solution—prepared daily for sanitizing toys. This solution consists of two gallons of water mixed with a small amount of bleach.”

Experts are concerned about how such a mistake could happen. Erin O’Connor, director of the NYU Early Childhood Education program, told CBS News, “One of the most basic structural indicators is that you have things set up in a way that there’s no way a toxic material would be near a water supply for children. It gives me pause about how much was done in response to the first incident.” She added, “It just doesn’t feel like they have child safety in their best interest,” and criticized the center for appearing more concerned with its image than addressing safety issues.

This isn’t the first controversy for Bright Horizons. In July 2025, three staff members were accused of abusing nine children between the ages of 1 and 2. One staff member, Evelyn Vargas, was charged with nine counts of endangering the welfare of a child, four counts of attempted assault, one count of strangulation, and one count of assault, according to People.

“I feel like they should’ve been 100% on their best behavior. It’s just hard to believe this kind of mistake happened,” a parent told CBS News. “Especially after the first incident.”