A childcare centre drowning in debt has been forced to return children’s art portfolios after suggesting parents pay $2200 each to help cover its $45,000 shortfall.
Parents of Craigslea Kindergarten and Preschool, which closed three weeks ago, were told they wouldn’t need to make the payment after parent company C&K and the Department of Education intervened.
On September 24, a C&K spokeswoman confirmed the portfolios had been safely retrieved with departmental support.
“These important records are now available for families to collect, free of charge,” she said.
Families can pick them up from the C&K office at 257 Gympie Rd, Kedron, Monday to Friday between 9am and 4pm.
The Chermside West centre, affiliated with C&K, is typically run independently by parent-led volunteer management committees.
A charity regulator report lodged late last year revealed the service was nearly $45,000 in debt, according to the Courier Mail.
On September 22, parents received an email with a form that read, “If you are opposed to the committee using the portfolios as a $2200 per piece fundraiser to make up for the $40,314 owing to teachers, please complete the below.”
The following day, a parent identified only as Alex told Sunrise reporter Georgie Chumbley the situation had been stressful for families.
“Obviously we are trying to shield our children from it, but I think there would be no denying they are picking up on all the parents’ anxieties and fears around what is going on,” Alex said.
Chumbley added, “It is a precious time for the kids to get ready before they go to big school.”
“We do understand the parents are currently in conversations with the education department, hopefully this will get sorted soon.”
Under Education and Care Services national regulations, parents are entitled to request documentation about their children at no cost.
The Courier Mail reported a committee member had previously claimed the portfolios – where teachers compiled and analysed children’s artwork – were the “intellectual property of the association.”
Images: 7NEWS
