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| Child care person in the spotlight | |||||
| Mary Anketell - Gold Coast Christian Children's Centre at Mudgeeraba | |||||
 Child care professionals share a commitment to improving society by creating dynamic and nurturing care environments for Australia's youngest learners. This month we feature an interview with Mary AnketellWhat is your name? My name is Mary Anketell, and I'm 68. Which centre do you work in? How many staff and children are in the centre? I work at Gold Coast Christian Children's Centre at Mudgeeraba. We have around 25 staff including casuals, and we are a 75 place centre. What is your professional background and career experience? I worked in administration when I was young, then married, and was a full-time mum of four children, with intervals of working with my husband in our retail business. What attracted you to a career in child care? Helping with the day-to-day care of my grandchildren while my daughter was completing a University Degree, I developed a different perspective on child care. I had more time to be involved in their education in a fun and play based atmosphere. As I reached retirement, I did the Cert III in Children's Services and put myself forward as a volunteer. During my five years volunteering, I have also been employed as relief staff, but I love to go whether I'm "working" or "volunteering". What does a 'normal' day look like for you? On my "volunteering" days, I sign myself in and then check each room and help with the tasks at hand. It might be hanging up or preparing art work. I help with art scrap books and portfolios and also interact with children during activities. I keep the Centre Events folder up to date and look for things I can do to help. I also help a full day in a room if the numbers are at a maximum. The days I am called in as relief I follow the routine for whichever role I am covering. I love whatever I do and feel blessed to be able to contribute. What makes your centre unique? We are Gold Coast Christian Children's Centre, one of three Christian Centres the company owns, whose philosophy is to create a nurturing learning environment where children will mature and develop to their full potential, growing with a sense of belonging, well-being, self-esteem and love for others. Based upon Christian ideals and relevant Early Childhood theories and practices, we aim to create a home away from home for children and their families. What are some of the advantages of working in the child care sector? Zero-five years is recognised as vital in a child's development, setting them up for their future, not just educationally but also learning social skills, like learning to interact with others, share, sympathise, care for the environment etc It is so fulfilling to see the children having fun as they learn, and to be able to contribute to their learning. What are some of the biggest challenges facing the child care sector? I think one of the biggest challenges facing the sector is attracting and retaining qualified and quality staff. The copious amounts of documenting while also actively engaging with children as we provide high quality care can be quite challenging and even the most passionate educators can feel the pressure they are under isn't equal to the wages they earn. How has your centre changed to deal with these challenges? Using staff meetings and professional development to help educators be clear about changes and how to grow through them. Our director calls us to work as a team, communicating in person and via our diary and emails, and has a process where we can leave encouraging notes to staff in our Staff News, we have social times as well where we can get to know each other, which helps us grow as a team to tackle any challenges we face. How does the industry need to change to adapt to these challenges? Raising the standards of child care can only be a good thing as we are working with our youngest members of society. Perhaps wages should be taken into account to encourage educators into early childhood education and reflect the high level of responsibility of they have. What advice would you offer someone thinking about a career or looking for a promotion in child care? You need a love for children and a fascination for watching their minds grow, being able to listen to what matters to them. You need to be able to embrace the whole family and work with them in partnership for the best outcomes for their children. There is a lot of work involved in study, but if you are open to learn from others and work as part of a team, child care is very rewarding. |
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| Do you work with someone who deserves to be profiled in an upcoming edition of our newsletter? If so let us know by emailing editor@careforkids.com.au. All of the child care professionals we interview will receive a selection of DVD's for their service courtesy of Roadshow Entertainment. | |||||
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