Annette Hutt says she "fell into" her role as a Family Day Care educator. Thirty years later she’s still in the position and says it’s a "privilege to spend time with these amazing little humans".
Her dedication to caring for children in her community has been formally recognised, with Mrs Hutt winning the national 2025 Family Day Care Educator of the Year Award at a gala dinner in Melbourne in October, hosted by Family Day Care Australia
The award caps a big year for the Department for Education Family Day Care program which is celebrating 50 years of operating in South Australia this year.
Mrs Hutt works in the farming hub of Wudinna, a town of around 500 in the heart of Eyre Peninsula’s wheat country.
Three decades ago, a family member asked if she would consider looking after their young child so they could return to work. Little did Mrs Hutt know at the time this would kickstart a life-long vocation.
"I was a stay-at-home mum and I thought, 'yeah, I could do that'," Mrs Hutt says.
"And then they suggested that perhaps I could become a Family Day Care educator … and the
rest is history."
Mrs Hutt says she has looked after "hundreds" of children in Wudinna and surrounds, and that she regularly meets people she cared for who are adults now with children of their own.
She says Family Day Care was particularly important in smaller communities where access to other forms of childcare could be limited.
"It enables parents that need to, have to, or want to, go to work to know that they have somewhere safe for their children, where they’ll be in a small group and be well looked after," Mrs Hutt says.
"It’s like an extension of their own family, really."
And for this life-long and experienced educator, who has obtained a Diploma of Children's Services, every day at work is filled with joy.
"You form a special bond with the children, and also with their families," Mrs Hutt says.
"The children are always growing and learning and it’s so rewarding to be a part of their journey. It’s a privilege to spend time with these amazing little humans."
Half a century of care
Family day care began in South Australia in 1975 and was - uniquely in Australia - solely administrated by the South Australian Government.
Today, South Australia’s Department for Education is the largest approved provider of family day care, overseeing more than 240 registered educators across metropolitan, regional and remote communities, providing care to around 2200 children.
Nation-wide the Family Day Care sector now forms one of Australia’s largest networks of women in small business.
Family day care is currently one of the most flexible early childhood education and care options available to families in South Australia, with care options covering all hours – including before and after school, school holidays and even weekends.
"All our educators have prior experience in early childhood education and have a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, as a minimum," says Paula Pittam who is the Director of Family Day Care Programs in Preschools and Early Childhood Services at the Department for Education.
"We also undertake a thorough recruitment process with new educators, ensuring each home environment is safe and suitable for family day care, and that the educator has the right skillset.
She said having children in small groups allowed educators to form bonds with the children in their care.
"Educators are able to design learning to fit with the individual needs of each child," Mrs Pittam says.
For more information about Family Day Care in South Australia, including finding a service in your area or registering to become an educator visit the website.
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