Winners of the 2021 NT Education and Care Awards announced at ceremony

Freya Lucas

Oct 19, 2021

Save

The winners of the 2021 NT Education and Care Awards were announced on Friday 15 October at a ceremony held at DoubleTree Hilton, Darwin.

The Sector extends congratulations to all the finalists and the following recipients of the awards.

Outstanding Educator

Arphon Auntasi – Play Creation Day Care – Ms Auntasi was recognised for consistently demonstrating exceptional behaviour and commitment to improving their skills and ensuring quality outcomes for children.

Outstanding Aboriginal Educator

Cheryl Keighran – Borroloola Families as First Teachers – Ms Keighran was noted for consistently demonstrating exceptional behaviour and commitment to improving her skills and ensuring quality outcomes for children.

Outstanding Early Childhood Teacher

Jessica Rose – Canteen Creek Families as First Teachers / Stay Plan Learn – Ms Rose holds an ACECQA-approved Early Childhood Teacher Qualification and demonstrated commitment to delivering quality practice and achieving positive outcomes for children.

Outstanding Leader

Maria Baron – Goodstart Early Learning Nightcliff – Ms Baron has worked in the early childhood education and care sector for more than three years, and was recognised for her exceptional leadership qualities and contribution to continuous quality improvement in service and program delivery.

Outstanding Achievement in Innovation

Children’s Ground Limited was noted in this category as an education and care service or program which has developed and embedded an innovative practice that is delivering benefits in one or more of the following areas; family and community engagement, program development and delivery, staff professional development and learning or governance and leadership.

For more information about the Awards, please see here.

Don’t miss a thing

Childcare centres may have clear rules for staff numbers, but there are loopholes to get around them

There is a growing number of “serious incidents” in Australian early childhood services, including day cares.

What Can Australia Learn from Ontario’s Child Care Ratios?

As workforce pressures continue to shape early childhood education and care (ECEC) policy discussions in Australia, international comparisons provide useful perspectives. Canada’s approach, particularly in Ontario, offers a case study in how educator-to-child ratios, maximum group sizes and qualification requirements can be legislated as an integrated framework.

Burnout in early childhood education: Why leadership support is the missing lever

Early childhood educators have one of the most important jobs in Australia. We trust them to keep our kids safe, to educate them in their most formative years, and to care for them when we can’t do it ourselves. And far too often, educators are doing it all on empty.

Workforce planning in ECEC: from compliance requirement to strategic advantage

With workforce pressures continuing across early childhood education and care (ECEC), a structured approach to workforce planning is emerging as a critical leadership tool, not simply an administrative exercise.

National Early Childhood Worker Register: commencing 27 February 2026

The introduction of the National Early Childhood Worker Register from the 27 February, has signalled a significant shift in workforce oversight across early childhood education and care (ECEC).