Brisbane parents fight YMCA plan to close 75-place childcare centre a week before Christmas
Save Acacia Ridge Kindy (parents' group)
The YMCA Acacia Ridge Early Education Centre (75 places, Brisbane) closes Friday 18 December 2026, a week before Christmas.
The YMCA has already lodged notice with the Queensland regulator to surrender the centre's service approval. Once that takes effect, no other provider can take the centre over.
Acacia Ridge is in the most disadvantaged 5% of suburbs in Australia (ABS SEIFA 2021).
Two not-for-profit providers want to explore keeping it open. The YMCA says it is "not pursuing a service transfer".
On 25 May 2026 the YMCA's other Queensland long day care centre, at Sunshine Coast University Hospital, was transferred to a new provider instead of closing. It is still operating.
Parents are available for interview and filming this week.
Brisbane parents are asking the YMCA to give two interested not-for-profit providers a chance to assess whether childcare can continue at its Acacia Ridge centre, which is due to close a week before Christmas.
The appeal comes months after the YMCA's other Queensland long day care centre, at Sunshine Coast University Hospital in Birtinya, was transferred to another operator instead of closing. At Acacia Ridge, the YMCA says it is "not pursuing a service transfer" and has given notice to surrender the centre's service approval.
Families at the YMCA Acacia Ridge Early Education Centre were told on 19 October that its final operating day would be Friday 18 December 2026. The centre has 75 approved places, about a quarter of the suburb's long day care places.
"All we ask is for the YMCA to come to the table, let them look, and give Acacia Ridge the same chance it gave Birtinya," said parent Luke McMahon.
"Being left in a new place brought on real separation anxiety for my daughter. It took her close to five months to feel safe at the centre. There she found her first best friend, who she talks about every day. If it closes, she has to start all over again."
Two not-for-profit providers have expressed initial interest in exploring continued operation. No takeover has been agreed. Parents are asking the YMCA to meet them, provide the information needed for a confidential assessment, and work with the regulator to preserve the possibility of transferring the existing approval while that assessment takes place.
On 4 November, the Queensland regulator told a parent the YMCA had met the legislative requirements for surrendering the approval. Once the surrender takes effect, the existing approval is cancelled and cannot be transferred. A future operator would need a fresh service approval as well as an agreement to use the premises.
The YMCA has declined to share business documents "due to their confidential nature". On 5 November it offered to meet one provider "to discuss, generally, the reasons for our decision". Brisbane City Council, which owns the building, has told a parent it cannot release commercial-in-confidence information about a lessee and has referred families back to the YMCA.
The centre occupies Council-owned premises under a lease with a stated term from 1 August 1975 to 31 July 2050. The lease specifies use "for the purposes of a child care centre", with other uses requiring Council's written permission. Assignment also requires Council's written consent. No assignment has been agreed.
At Birtinya, the 100-place service transferred on 25 May 2026 and is now listed as Rise Early Learning Birtinya. Asked about that decision, the YMCA said: "The decision to transfer the service approval at SCUH was based on the hospital's desire to maintain care provision on the hospital premises. This is important context, as there is access to alternate care in the Acacia Ridge area, with some centres in walking distance."
Families are asking for Acacia Ridge to receive the same consideration. In the ABS's 2021 Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage, Acacia Ridge ranked among the most disadvantaged 5% of Australian suburbs; Birtinya is above average. The 2021 Census recorded unemployment of 9.6% in Acacia Ridge against 3.9% in Birtinya, one-parent families at 28.3% against 17.0%, and 554 children aged 0 to 4 in Acacia Ridge against 194 in Birtinya. The Rocklea-Acacia Ridge area has the second-lowest number of childcare places per child of 36 areas in Greater Brisbane.
Several nearby centres contacted about 2027 quoted kindergarten fees of $148.75 to $170 a day, compared with the YMCA's listed $119.55. These are advertised fees before subsidies.
Centres can change hands. When Edge Early Learning collapsed in October, 53 of its centres in Queensland and South Australia found new owners.
On Saturday 7 November, families gathered outside the centre with prams and hand-made signs. They placed an empty chair marked "Reserved for the Y" and a padlocked bundle of paper marked "The Figures".
Families have launched a Change.org petition (291 signatures), written to MPs and Council, and conducted a parent survey that received 24 responses.
MEDIA ENQUIRIES
Contact Luke McMahon to arrange interviews this week and any filming outside the centre from the public footpath. The YMCA's written replies, the regulator's email, the Council lease and two one-page fact sheets are available on request. The interested providers are not being named publicly.
MORE
Petition: https://www.change.org/SaveAcaciaRidgeKindy
Campaign: https://saveacaciaridgekindy.com
Contact details:
Luke McMahon, parent
0401 346 860
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Acacia Ridge group photo 7 Nov 2026.jpg
Families outside YMCA Acacia Ridge Early Education Centre, Brisbane, 7 Nov 2026. The empty chair is "Reserved for the Y", which plans to close the 75-place centre on 18 Dec. Photo: parents, supplied. Written permission held for all children shown.
