By Renee Wood
Australia’s Family Day Care Coordinator of the year award has gone to Foundations Family Day Care coordinator Kathi Hewitson, announced at an awards ceremony in Tasmania.
Ms Hewitson was first named as the Victorian finalist, going into the running to be the national coordinator and to her surprise she’s been honoured with the award.
“I’ve been involved in family day care for nearly 30 years and all of a sudden I have the potential here of being able to say to people in a more public ways what a wonderful form of care family day care is,” she said.
Ms Hewitson is a tommeginne woman and was proud to receive the honour in Tasmania on the land of her ancestors.
Ms Hewitson also believes she’s the first indigenous and autistic women to receive the award and said it’s a privilege to be an ambassador for family day care.
“To be able to say to people, this is great for kids, but also to say to people who want to work in the early childhood sector, this is an amazing career and it can take you to places that you would never expect,” she said.
Ms Hewitson first began working in family day care sector nearly three decades ago and most recently launched her own business Foundations Family Day Care with educators working in the Yarra Ranges and across Victoria and South Australia.
Family day cares operate out of the educator’s home and revolve around direct care over small groups of children.
Ms Hewitson said the philosophies for the business are respecting nature, being out in the community, diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Small groups means the children have the attention of an individual educator, as well as that they can be in care from six weeks right through to 13. So they’ve got continuity of care the whole time,” Ms Hewitson said.
Ms Hewitson believes family day care has such great benefits for families, children, educators and local communities – but it’s also something that many people might not be aware is an option for their children.
“There’s plenty of people even just in Yarra Ranges that have no idea that family day care exists…and so to raise the profile of family day care is a really positive potential to come from this.
“We’ve got the potential to support local communities even more because each one is their own small business, they stay within their communities, then money stays within those communities…
“Not only from the point of view of providing care and education to the children and so helping other people work, but also when they’re buying resources, when they’re even buying food for the children to eat…so economically, having family day care supports the community as well.”
