Gordon Reid (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to acknowledge Margaret McGrath, who after 40 years of service to the community is retiring from Woy Woy Peninsula Community Child Care. Established in 1977, Woy Woy Peninsula Community Child Care is one of the longest-running childcare centres on the Central Coast. It is a not-for-profit, community based, cooperative childcare that supports local families by providing excellence in early childhood education. Margaret's journey with them began with them in 1982, when her own children attended the service, and it was then she served on the cooperative board of management and was an active parent member. Margaret joined the staffing team in 1994 as a clerical assistant, and in this role she became an instrumental part of the centre and local community.

During her career, Margaret was responsible for enrolling 3,654 children into child care, and she treated each child and their families with care, attention and compassion to ensure they felt welcomed and nurtured and that the transition into child care was smooth. Over the years, she effortlessly adapted to new accounting systems, funding agreements and financial requirements, but it was her warmness and welcoming nature that greeted everyone as they came through the door that made her beloved of the families and staff alike.

I'd also like to take a moment to acknowledge another staff member, Amy Mills, the manager of the centre, who recently moved on to a new role after 18 years of service to the Woy Woy and Umina communities. Amy is a dedicated, compassionate and committed manager, who not only navigated the centre through the difficult times of COVID but always ensured that no child was left behind and created a caring learning environment to give them all the best start in life.