Brisbane preschool closure sparks controversy over art portfolios and staff wages

Craigslea Community Kindergarten and Preschool, a Brisbane north facility for children aged three to five, has been placed into voluntary administration and subsequently closed after mounting debts. Centre records show the not-for-profit operation owed about $46,000 in the last financial year, with a substantial portion tied to unpaid staff salaries. The closure leaves dozens of families scrambling for answers as administrators work to wind down operations and determine next steps for families who had enrolled their children.

In a striking turn, the centre’s management committee circulated a fundraising proposal to families this week that asked parents to fundraise by purchasing each child’s art portfolio for $2,200. The email stated that the portfolios would help cover a shortfall in staff wages, and instructed parents to indicate whether they opposed or agreed to participate in the fundraiser. The message suggested that the portfolios could be sold to raise roughly $40,314 owed to teachers, with the caveat that the administrator or liquidator might decide in the future to offer them for free. The move drew immediate backlash from parents who described the plan as unfathomable and deeply distressing for families already coping with the centre’s abrupt closure.

Queensland Police confirmed they are investigating after a parent was accused of stealing her child’s portfolio from the centre earlier this month. The Courier Mail quoted the parent as saying a committee member had reported a break-and-enter incident to police and that she was told she was stealing something she had simply taken home for her child. The probe adds a criminal dimension to a dispute that already has many families unsettled about how to recover their children’s belongings and what happens to artwork created at the centre.

The centre’s committee defended the portfolios as intellectual property belonging to the association. Thomas D’Souza, a committee member, told the Courier Mail that portfolios created by teachers as part of their employment are the association’s property and could be sold to fund the salary shortfall. He noted that any funds raised would go to paying staff and that future decisions, including potentially offering the portfolios for free, would depend on the administrator or liquidator. The idea that children’s art could be monetized to fund wages drew immediate condemnation from some observers who argued the pieces are personal mementos for families.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli weighed in on the controversy, calling the fundraising approach “pretty un-Australian” and describing it as emotional blackmail. Speaking on the Today Show, Crisafulli said, “There are better things to be worried about at the moment. Let’s give the kids their finger painting and let’s get on with life.” He also expressed surprise that police were involved in the matter, underscoring the unusual nature of the dispute.

Education authorities in Queensland have signaled scrutiny of the communication to families. A Department of Education spokesperson said the department is aware of the fundraising communication and clarified that, under Education and Care Services National Regulations, parents may request certain documentation pertaining to their child at no cost. The spokesperson added that there is no requirement to pay a fee for documentation, such as portfolios, and that the approved provider must make such documentation available on request. The department’s intervention signals ongoing oversight of the situation as investigators examine the legality and appropriateness of the portfolio-for-sale proposal.

The Craigslea centre, supported by the not-for-profit group C&K Childcare and Kindergarten, is run by a volunteer committee. The closure has left dozens of families without a clear path forward, and administrators are likely to assess options for families seeking enrollment alternatives or refunds where applicable. Daily Mail, which first highlighted the fundraising proposal, noted that comment requests to C&K were not immediately returned, and regulators continue to review the centre’s governance and fundraising practices. This episode highlights tensions that can arise when financially distressed early-education providers attempt to balance debt repayment with respect for families and staff welfare, all within a tightly regulated framework that governs documentation, property rights, and fundraiser legitimacy.