Karridale Family Day Care educator wins again

Karridale Family Day Care business owner Jacquelin Sims has been recognised at the Family Day Care Australia, Excellence in Family Day Care Awards 2025. Jacquelin won the 2025 Regional Educator Award for Bunbury & Southwest, operating under the banner of the Y WA with her family day care service, Little Blue House Family Day Care. Jacquelin was one of 74 regional educator winners recognised across the country, and one of only 14 educators recognised from WA.

13 other Y WA family day care educators were nominated, but only Jacquelin won in her category, which sees her go into the running to be named as one of four National Educator Finalists, to be announced on 16 September 2025. 

Operating under the Y WA Family Day Care program, Little Blue House is a locally owned service run by Jacquelin, which opened in November 2022. Jacquelin also won the 2023 Regional Educator Award for Bunbury & Southwest, making this her second accolade in the Excellence in Family Day Care Award program. 

With over 12 years’ experience in the early childhood education and care sector, Jacquelin is passionate about creating fun, meaningful, and community-focused experiences for the children in her care. One memorable example comes from a three-year-old at her service, who loves helping with the bins. Jacquelin turned this interest into a community activity, involving neighbours and showing children the value of helping others, sparking conversations about supporting neighbours who may need assistance with everyday tasks. 

Jacquelin said, “I am lucky to have such a great parent group who appreciate my role in their family and I am well known within our towns too, due to my strong focus on community connections and embedding the children in their town’s wider community. It feels great to have been recognised by this award.” 

The awards are Australia’s only awards program dedicated to rewarding excellence in family day care, a vital service for Australia which can provide a safe, natural home-based environment for children, with flexible routines and often individualised learning programs due to the small group sizes.

The Y WA Family Day Care Service program provides comprehensive support to Educators like Jacquelin in setting up and ongoing management of the business, offering ongoing support, including home visits, play sessions, resources and training, electronic information and phone support. 

Support Staff visit each Family Day Care home regularly to mentor and observe Educators in an informal manner, while recognising and respecting the individuality of each family home and assisting in the provision of providing safe, flexible, affordable, early learning programs in a supportive and stimulating home environment.