A serious incident at an early childhood centre in the Lockyer Valley region has triggered a formal investigation by Queensland's regulatory authority. A child's finger tip was reportedly severed at the Free Range Kids Laidley 2 centre west of Brisbane on 24 February, with part of the 10-month-old's right ring finger detached.
The child received medical attention. The Queensland Early Childhood Regulatory Authority confirmed it is aware of the matter and that no further information can be provided while the incident remains under investigation.
The centre is one of seven Active Kids Early Learning centres across Queensland. The Free Range Kids Laidley 2 Centre is currently rated by the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) as meeting National Quality Standards.
The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of early childhood safety across Australia. Queensland's early childhood sector faced significant upheaval following the case of Ashley Paul Griffith, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2024 after pleading guilty to offences against children in Brisbane child care centres over many years. A rapid review led by Jay Weatherhill AO and Pam White PSM, with findings due 15 August 2025, will identify immediate actions to improve child safety, including exploration of CCTV installation and strengthening the Working with Children Check framework.
Governments have responded with major regulatory changes. From 27 February 2026, new National Quality Framework legislative amendments commence, including mandatory national child safety training; from 1 July 2026, the Reportable Conduct Scheme begins for Queensland services. The reforms will mandate no personal devices when working directly with children at centre-based services and require child protection and child safety training for all staff, volunteers and students.
The Queensland Government has delivered an additional $12.7 million for the Regulatory Authority in the 2025-26 budget, with Minister for Education John-Paul Langbroek stating "we've bolstered the Regulatory Authority with more officers to conduct more checks on more early childcare centres."
The centre's management has been contacted for comment regarding the incident, but no statement has been provided.