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Kindergarten Walks Back Plan to Charge Parents $1,400 for Their Kids’ Art

Parents were asked to pay a massive fee for toddler scribbles to plug debts.

A kindergarten has shelved a bizarre plan to bill parents $1,451 for their own kids’ artwork. The volunteer-run Craigslea Community Kindergarten in Brisbane, Australia, informed families that it was insolvent and owed approximately $26,587 (AUS$40,314) to staff and the tax office, then proposed selling the children’s “portfolios” for AUS$2,200 as a fundraising effort. Families were asked to tick a form “opposing” or “agreeing” to the fee. However, according to a report in The Guardian, it backed away from the plan after the Queensland education department intervened, stating that the scrapbooks must be handed back free of charge. A spokesperson for the department said the children’s portfolios “are now available for families to collect, free of charge.” The center, affiliated with C&K Childcare and Kindergarten, but run independently, reported a 2024 loss of approximately US$29,679 (AUS$45,003) on income of around US$237,929 (AUS$360,772).

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