FDCA announces Regional Educator Award winners

Regional winners in the annual Family Day Care Australia (FDCA) Excellence in Family Day Care Awards have been announced, marking the first step on the road to the announcement of the national awards on 17 September 2022. 

 

The FDCA Awards recognise the work done by educators, coordinators and services in the family day care (FDC) sector to deliver high-quality early childhood education and care to children across Australia, and are the only national awards dedicated entirely to the FDC sector. 

 

FDCA Chief Executive Officer Andrew Paterson spoke to the incredible achievements of this year’s Award recipients. 

 

“Our educators are the lifeblood of our sector,” said Mr Paterson. “Their dedication to children  and families and their unique and nurturing approach to early years education is the reason why  so many families choose FDC.”  

 

Families, services and educators are invited each year to tell FDCA, in their own words, what makes their educator, coordinator or approved service such an integral and special contributor to their lives and to the lives of the children in their care.

 

There are four Award Categories, namely: 

 

• Educator of the Year
• Coordinator of the Year
• Services of the Year
• Star Awards.

 

Regional winners (educators only), Star Award winners and national finalists in each category are selected by an official FDCA selection committee. The FDCA selection committee is made up of the following representatives, who each have extensive experience in the FDC sector.

 

• Sarah Fowler – FDCA Board Director and Board Chair
• Phillipa Hargrave – FDCA Board Director
• Rosie Pupo – FDCA Board Director
• Georgina Zadelj – FDCA Board Director
• Cathy Bavage – FDCA Board Director.

 

The Regional Winners are as follows: 

 

Australian Capital Territory

 

Ayesha Durrani – North Canberra, Communities@Work Family Day Care and In-Home Care

Leah Uttley – South Canberra, Communities@Work Family Day Care and In-Home Care

 

‍New South Wales

 

Ilana Butnaru – CBD, Inner West and Eastern Suburbs, Family Day Care Sydney Wide

Shoko Wark – North Shore and Northern Beaches, Artarmon Family Day Care

Afroza Yasmin – North West and Hills District , Baulkham Hills Family Day Care

Sreevidya Yadatisastrula – Parramatta and Western Suburbs, Twinkle Family Daycare

Emma Turnbull – Richmond and Hawkesbury, Collective Family Day Care

Kristina Lepedjian – Ryde and Macquarie Park, Christian Community Aid Family Day Care

Jacqueline Singh – South West and M5 Corridor, Camden Family Day Care

Magda Sanchez – Southern Suburbs and Sutherland Shire, Sutherland Shire Council Family Day Care

Mahananda Jamble – Albury Wodonga and Murray, Greater Hume Children Services

Kylie Hazell – Blue Mountains and Central West, Bathurst Family Day Care

Hannah Smith – Coffs Harbour and North Coast, Mid Coast Family Day Care

Vanessa Edwards – Dubbo and Central, Cabonne Family Day Care

Jo-Anne Warhurst – Far West and Central North, Far West Family Day Care Services

Renuka Raj – Gosford and Central Coast, Coastwide Family Day Care

Maddison Lord – Goulburn and Southern Tablelands, Goulburn Family Day Care

Linda Fraser – Newcastle, Maitland and Hunter, Coastwide Family Day Care

Kaylene Milligan – Port Macquarie and Mid North Coast, Mid Coast Family Day Care

Karen Grieve – Tamworth and North West, Tamworth Family Day Care

Anna Johansen – Tumut, Southern Highlands and Snowy, Wingecarribee Family Day Care

Angela Coffey – Wagga Wagga and Riverina, Intereach Family Day Care

Linda Tandy – Wollongong, Illawarra and South Coast, Early Years Care

 

Northern Territory

 

Cecile Miel – Darwin, Kentish Family Day Care

Emily Lawler – Alice Springs, Alice Springs Family Day Care

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‍Queensland

 

Renae Green – Brisbane North/Sunshine Coast, Empowered Family Day Care Service

Yilin Liu – Brisbane South, My Place Family Day Care

Sarah McIver – Brisbane West/Ipswich/Boonah, Choices Family Day Care

Felica Burridge – Cairns and Far North, North Qld Family Day Care

Lisemay Townsend-Lalloo – Logan/Redlands/Gold Coast, Excellence In Care Family Day Care

Anna Wertmuller – Mount Isa/Western Qld, Holistic Approach Family Day Care

Rebecca Dwyer – Rockhampton/Central Qld, Enhance Family Day Care – Capricornia

Kylie Brown – Toowoomba/Darling Downs/Somerset/Lockyer, Excellence In Care Family Day Care

Alysha McNeill – Townsville/Northern Qld, Enhance Family Day Care – Townsville and Regions

Belinda Crosbie – Wide Bay/Hervey Bay/Maryborough, Enhance Family Day Care – Capricornia

 

‍South Australia

 

Amber Connolly – Adelaide, Southern Districts Family Day Care Scheme

Merrilyn Hannaford – Adelaide Hills and Barossa , Hills Murraylands Family Day Care Scheme

Helen Preston – Mt Gambier and Limestone Coast, South East Riverland Family Day Care Scheme

Alison Cook – Riverland and Murray Mallee, Hills Murraylands Family Day Care Scheme

Tara Utting – Whyalla and Eyre Peninsula, Eastern Eyre Family Day Care Scheme

Maxine Voigt – Yorke Peninsula and Clare Valley, Country Central Family Day Care Scheme

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‍Tasmania

 

Trudy Chilcott – Devonport and North West, Adventure Patch Family Day Care North

Sue Higgs – Hobart and South, Adventure Patch Family Day Care

Svitlana Brasher – Launceston and North, Northern Children’s Network Family Day Care & In Home Care

 

‍‍Victoria

 

Zenaida Ternola – Bayside and South Eastern Suburbs, Wyndham Early Learning Family Day Care

Mahnoosh Khayamim – Eastern Suburbs, Shining Stars Family Day Care Services

Nuzhat Nadeem – Northern Suburbs, Unicorn Family Daycare

Katherine Truong – Western Suburbs, Lil’ Angels Family Day Care

Natasha Blackwell – Bairnsdale and Gippsland, Windermere Family Day Care

Janina Sharer – Ballarat and Central Highlands, Golden Plains Family Day Care

Debra Towerton – Bendigo, Goldfields and Macedon Ranges, Bendigo Family Day Care

Jacqui Sestito – Geelong and Great Ocean Road, City of Greater Geelong Family Day Care Service

Jacqueline Wallace – Horsham and Grampians, Inspired Family Day Care

Kelly Martin – Mildura and Murray, Intereach Family Day Care

Karen Eldred – Shepparton and Goulburn Valley, Holistic Approach Family Day Care

Megan Dunks – Traralgon and La Trobe Valley, Baw Baw Shire Family Day Care

Julie Parker – Yarra Valley and High Country, Foundations Family Day Care

 

Western Australia

 

Rebecca Beattie – CBD, Inner and Western Suburbs, Nature Alliance Family Day Care

Nicole Dreja – Eastern Suburbs, Nature Alliance Family Day Care

Roselyn Lawrence-Williams – Fremantle and Southern Suburbs, Connections Family Day Care

Alpa Shah – Northern Suburbs and Joondalup, Nectar Family Day Care Service

Emma Fox – Rockingham and Kwinana, Elite Family Day Care

Elspeth Smith – Albany and Great Southern, Willi Wag Tails Family Day Care Services

Elizabeth Stanger – Broome and Kimberley, Nature Alliance Family Day Care

Cassandra Dennison – Bunbury and South West, Nature Alliance Family Day Care

Sri Morgan – Geraldton, Gascoyne and Midwest, Elite Family Day Care

Jennifer Kroeger – Kalgoorie, Goldfields and Esperance, Nature Alliance Family Day Care

Stacey Ann Gallagher – Mandurah and Peel, Bright Futures Family Day Care

Tanya Lee Phillips – Northam and Wheatbelt, Willi Wag Tails Family Day Care Services

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Four National Educator Finalists will be announced on 9 August 2022. The National Finalists will  then attend the 2022 Excellence in FDCA presentation on Saturday 17  September 2022, to be held at the FDCA 2022 National Conference Gala Dinner in Hobart,  where one National Educator of the Year will be named.