Karyn Bliss - Goodstart Early Learning Townsville

An important and popular feature of our weekly early childhood education and care provider newsletters are the profiles on dynamic and inspirational people working in the sector.

This week we are proud to introduce Karyn Bliss from Goodstart Early Learning in Townsville. Karyn was recently crowned the winner of Townsville Bulletin’s Best Child Care Educator Poll, with 60 per cent of the votes. Karyn has worked at her centre since it opened 28 years ago. 

What is your name and where do you work?

My name is Karyn Bliss, I am 64 years old and I work at Goodstart Early Learning in Townsville.  

What is your professional background and career experience? 

I hold a Certificate III and have been working in child care for 28 years. The first few years I was in a classroom, I then managed a privately owned centre for about 13 years and for the last 12 years I have been working in the nursery room. 

What attracted you to a career in the early childhood sector?

My love of children, it’s an honour to work with children and I am privileged to have families entrust me to care for, nurture and educate their children. 

What does a ‘normal’ day look like for you?

I meet and greet my families, then we move through our day exploring our relationships. Each child has a routine from home we follow while creating learning opportunities here. 

What makes your service unique? 

Our team is what makes this service unique. We provide a nurturing environment; it is supportive to families and all team members. Our team has excellent planning and organisational skills, with many highly qualified educators who all have great communication skills. 

What are some of the advantages of working in early childhood education and care? 

Being part of a child’s learning journey, watching them develop and achieve new skills. 

What are some of the biggest challenges facing the sector? 

Due to the low income, early childhood can have a high turnover rate. 

How has your service changed to deal with these challenges? 

We actively recruit and train new team members to deal with the problem of turnover in our service. 

How does the early childhood industry need to change to adapt to these challenges? 

Recognition from government leading to increased wages and lower turnover would help. 

What advice would you offer someone thinking about a career or looking for a promotion in early childhood education and care? 

To have a love of children is a good start. As an early childhood educator we come across challenges throughout our day so it’s important for someone thinking about a career in early childhood education to possess patience, good communication skills, willingness to keep learning, a high level of responsibility, the ability to follow instructions and good organisational skills.