A Brisbane kindergarten has been forced to back down after asking parents to pay $2,200 for their own children’s artwork amid a dispute over the management of the childcare centre.

Craigslea community kindergarten, a local childcare centre in Chermside West in Brisbane’s north, made national headlines this week after a series of emails to parents. The centre has been in turmoil for weeks and was closed after a mass exodus of staff before the school holidays.

On Sunday, the management committee sent parents a 1,000-word email claiming the centre was “insolvent”, owing more than $40,314 to the tax office and employees. It proposed to “wind up” the centre, which has been placed into voluntary administration.

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The next day, in a second email the management committee proposed to charge $2,200 for a scrapbook of artwork produced by their children and photographs of them to help pay off the debt.

“If you are opposed to the committee using the portfolios as a $2,200 per piece fundraiser to make up for the $40,314 owing to teachers, please complete the below,” it read.

“Where there are members that have used the separated parents provision for membership, both need to send it in and jointly accept the postage charge in equal parts.”

Many parents claim that Thomas D’Souza, another parent, is running the centre alone as the sole person on its management committee.

He is the only person listed as a member of the centre’s committee on the Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Committee website after the resignation of the rest of the committee earlier this year. D’Souza was contacted for comment.

A spokesperson for the state’s Department of Education said the children’s portfolios “are now available for families to collect, free of charge”.

“Under the education and care services national regulations, parents can request certain documentation pertaining to their child. The approved provider must make the documentation available on request,” the spokesperson said.

According to its website, Craigslea is an “affiliated centre” of C&K Childcare and Kindergarten and receives support from their nationwide firm, but operates as an independent incorporated association managed by a volunteer management committee.

Last year’s audited finances for the centre show it made a $45,003 loss in 2024, with a total income of $360,772.

“We did not make this organisation insolvent, it was already insolvent,” the management committee said on Sunday.

“The association’s solicitors have recommended going into Voluntary Administration under Corporations Act 2001 (cth) part 5.3A, as the business is insolvent.”