Rupa Sivalingam awarded for her work in Family Day Care

Family Day Care educator Rupa Sivalingam was inspired to undertake a career change when she saw her young son struggling to find his feet in a busy early childhood education and care (ECEC) service. 

Switching gears from being an accountant, she embraced a career which saw her able to work from her home in the Canberra suburb of Garran, educating and caring for children for more than three years now. 

One of the most cherished aspects of her new career is bearing witness to children achieving various milestones. Her love of her career has translated into a number of highlights and successes, including recently being named as the winner of the 2024 Regional Educator Award for Canberra. 

“As an educator, I try to make it very simple by sitting down and having fun with them and learning something new every day,” she shared with news source City News. 

Ms Sivalingam was nominated for the award by the families of children she cares for, and said the news of her win was all the more sweet for having been announced on her son’s 10th birthday.

“Being able to do the job that I love while also getting to look after my own children has been very, very fulfilling and rewarding,” she said. “It’s nice to be appreciated.”

She is now on a mission to make others aware of the many benefits of Family Day Care, saying “it’s highly rewarding if you put the time and effort into it.” 

“It’s about creating a home away from home for the children who are our future generation.” 

Working with a limited number of children supports her to fully immerse herself in their worlds, and to support them as they learn to appreciate “their true identity.”

“I often think children are always getting compared to each other,” she explained. “You need to appreciate their uniqueness as well as treat them as an individual, which I don’t think is often done.” 

The Sector extends congratulations to Ms Sivalingam on her success. To read the original coverage of this story please see here.