Haly Street Early Learning’s Lydia Jensen voted favourite educator for 2025

A born and bred South Burnett local took home the title of South Burnett’s favourite childcare worker for 2025 in a recent South Burnett Times reader poll.

Lydia Jensen from Haly Street Early Learning in Kingaroy was voted the winner of the 2025 favourite childcare educator poll. Photo credit: Haly Street Early Learning

It’s all about the love for South Burnett based childcare worker, Lydia Jensen.

Ms Jensen swept the board with 18 per cent of the votes and took home the title of the region’s favourite childcare worker for 2025 in a recent South Burnett Times reader poll.

“It was so nice to find out,” Ms Jensen said.

“Just to be nominated and just to have parents saying that you’ve done a great job, we love you.”

Lydia Jensen (pictured) swept the board with 18 per cent of the votes and took home the title of Burnett’s favourite childcare worker for 2025 in a recent South Burnett Times reader poll.

The 27-year-old was born and bred in the South Burnett region.

She has worked in the childcare industry since 2015, and has spent most of that time working at the Haly Street Early Learning centre in Kingaroy.

Ms Jensen said she has always enjoyed being around children and took a chance on the job after seeing an ad to study childcare after she finished high school.

“I always enjoyed being around kids and enjoyed playing teachers in schools growing up,” she said.

“So it seemed fitting, and I tried it and loved it from the get-go.”

She recently came back to the job after a two-year break because she missed the work.

“The break was nice, but I just missed all of it.

“The children, the environment. Just having fun, and being outside every day.”

Ms Jensen said the best part of the job is the love she gets from the children every day, who are so excited to see her each morning.

Ms Jensen said the best part of the job was the love she gets from the children every day, who are so excited to see her each morning.

“I get to come in every day, the kids are excited to see you and greet you with big cuddles,” she said.

“They’re sweet. They’re funny. They make you laugh.

“(You) probably go through all the emotions, but at the end of the day, we just have such a good little crew between the children, the families, and the educators, too.”

One of the highlights of the job for Ms Jensen is being able to share big moments with the kids in her care and celebrate their big milestones, along with their families.

“I just get an attachment to all the children I look after,” she said.

“So any kind of milestones they hit or big moments of their life, I love to share with them and just get to celebrate.”

Ms Jensen said patience was one of the most important character traits needed to succeed in the industry.

But the ability to have fun and be flexible is also an essential skill for navigating the dynamic and often unpredictable nature of early childhood education.

“Don’t stress about the small things,” she said.

“If it’s not the exact (same) routine every day, just be flexible, have fun, see what the kids want to do and see where it goes.

“Just explore and experiment with everything every day.”

Ms Jensen said one thing people might not know about what it’s like to work in early childhood education is “how much love goes into it” everyday.

One thing people might not know about what it’s like to work in early childhood education is “how much love goes into it” everyday.

“I think a lot of people see the teacher side or even confuse it for babysitting, but the amount of love that goes into it, and the care that we have for all the children,” Ms Jensen said.

“Just sitting down, taking the time with the kids each day and really getting to know them, getting to know the families.”

Ms Jensen said the job could be challenging, but sometimes all it took was a smile or sweet moment from a child to turn everything around.

“Just one of the kids saying good morning and giving you a hug or just telling you how much they love you, you forget all those difficult moments that you have.”