That’s how Lynette Fitz Henry, Childrens Services Co-ordinator at Port Stephens Family Day Care, views victory in the  Children’s Services category of the 2016 Port Stephens Examiner Business Awards.

“It’s fantastic recognition of the services our organistion offers local families,” Ms  Fitz Henry said in the wake of the announcement.

“It tells us that we are valued and we can now use the win as promotional material for families who need the types of services we offer.”

Port Stephens Family Day Care is based in Raymond Terrace and managed by Port Stephens Council.

A six-member co-oridination unit, of which Ms Fitz Henry is part of,  supervises approximately 50 educators,  who run   childcare  from their  homes.

All educators are licensed under state regulations and offer all government childcare  subsidies.

To qualify, educators need a Certificate III in Childcare or be prepared to get one.

They also  require a First Aid Certificate and Working With Children check, and their home has to be assessed to meet regulatory requirements.

“There is a maximum of seven children per educator from six weeks up to  thirteen years, with the limit being you can only look after up to four children below school age,” Ms Fitz Henry said.

Educators run programs drawn up according to national regulations that go beyond baby sitting. 

 “Our Transition to School program that we’re rolling out this year, for example,  focuses on literacy, numeracy and socials skills which prepare children for interaction in more formal educational settings,” Ms Fitz Henry said.

PSFDC  currently look after 590 families and 720 children in a variety of care set-ups.  

“There is no ceiling on the number of educators PSFDC can have but  we find  that it tends to hover around the 50 mark as people come and go through the system. It’s  organic that way.”

Educators set the number of hours they want to work and the upshot  is  great flexibility for not only families, but also educators.

“It’s great for families that might have special needs, such as weekend care or overnight care, or parents who might not necessarily like putting their kids in bigger childcare centres,” Ms Fitz Henry said.

“And it’s a  good entry for educators, often women looking to get into the workforce but who want to stay home and look after children when they are small.”

Generally educators join up to the scheme close to where they live, so the majority of PSFDC educators are based in the local government area, but it is not restricted.

“Some people move and like to stay with the same organisation, so we have educators based in Newcastle, Maitland, Tea Gardens etc, but the majority are based in Port Stephens,” Ms Fitz Henry said.

Victory at the awards is vindication that the service PSFDC offers is valued in the community.

“The week after the announcement [on October 12] we had a meeting with our educators so we could all see the award and share in the fun,” Ms Fitz Henry said.

 “It gave them a great sense of satisfaction that they are recognised and doing a fantastic job and that the service  is needed and valued.

“Port Stephens Council is very supportive and provides the platform that enables us to deliver this quality business.”

For more info visit www.portstephens.nsw.gov.au and look under the “Live” tab.