Winner announced: Meet SA’s cutest kindy kid of 2023, Koa

The winner of The Advertiser’s 2023 cutest kindy kid competition can be revealed, selected by popular vote out of scores of adorable finalists.

Koa from Port Lincoln with the family dog, Louie. Koa won the Advertiser's cutest kindy kid in the state competition. Picture: Robert Lang

Readers have voted Koa from Port Lincoln the cutest kindy kid in the state.

The competition was tough, with 70 adorable finalists.

While Koa took the crown, he was closely followed by Kali, 5, from Whyalla, Caroline, 5, from Prospect, Henry, 5, from Unley and Grace, 5, from Brinkworth.

Mother Tamarra Munro was both surprised and delighted to learn Koa had won the competition by popular vote, having entered him in the competition on a whim.

It was 31-year-old Tamarra Munro’s sister, who first told the Port Lincoln local about The Advertiser’s Cutest Kindy Kid Competition.

“We got his kindy photos back and my sister and I just thought he looked so cute in them,” she said.

“Everyone thinks their kid is the cutest, right?”

Koa with mum, Tamarra. Koa has won the Advertiser's cutest kindy kid in the state competition. Picture: Robert Lang

Koa with the family dog, Louie. Picture: Robert Lang

Ms Munro and husband Damian have always thought Koa was special because of his ability to light up any room, rather than because he was born with Down syndrome.

Although the four-year-old – who will turn five in December – has a jam-packed weekly schedule shuttling between occupational therapy, speech therapy and hydrotherapy – the aim was always for Koa to be among peers.

Ms Munro said Koa is looking forward to starting school next year and the decision they made as a family was for Koa to attend a mainstream school, rather than a “special” school for children with disabilities.

“He’s really social and he loves learning from other kids, so we just wanted him to be able to be in a mainstream school.

“He went to a mainstream kindy and he did really well, so we just thought why shouldn’t we put him in a mainstream school?

“He’ll have the support of an SSO, which is a person chosen by the school, who sits with him and helps him, or can take him to the toilet, for example.

“She can sign and Koa has learned to sign a little bit too, so that helps.

The provision of a designated helper or officer, who can assist children with disabilities is something Koa’s parents are grateful for because it allows him to integrate, rather than set him apart.

“We’ve never seen him as being any different.”