Highfields mum Mandy Polzin awarded best family day care educator
After years of being nominated for the title, a mother and daycare educator has been recognised as the best daycare educator in the Darling Downs region.
Early Education
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After 25 years of working in childcare education, a Highfields mother-of-two has been recognised as the best family day care educator in the Darling Downs.
Mandy Polzin always loved babysitting other children growing up, so when she started working at a Toowoomba daycare centre as a 16-year-old, she knew she was in the right place.
“It’s my calling, I really love it,” she said.
Since then it has been one strength to another for her, earning qualifications in child education and going on to work in schools and daycares around the city.
“It’s just been an absolute passion of mine to be able to grow with my knowledge and experience throughout the years,” she said.
Thirteen years ago, she finally had her first “miracle” daughter, and her friends and family encouraged her to pursue family day care, where she looks after and educates up to four children under the age of five at her own home.
Since then her family has grown with another girl, who is now five years old.
She was “thrilled” to receive the award and said she couldn’t have done it without the support of her family, from her kids, to her husband, and her own parents.
In fact, family is what Mrs Polzin is all about, and she said the best thing about her job is the “family” part, where she gets to watch all the children grow, not just while they are at daycare with her, but in the years growing up as well.
“You are like family, you basically know everything about each other which is really special,” she said.
She said for the past eight years she had been nominated for the award, but this year, with the encouragement of her local Kath Dickson co-ordinator, had taken a bit of time to fill in the award.
“And then so when I got a phone call from my co-ordinator saying, ‘You just got an award’ and I was like, ‘What are you talking about?’” she said.
“I was really humbled to get the regional winner for our area.”
A big congratulations to Mrs Polzin for being awarded the 2024 Regional Educator Winner within the Darling Downs, Somerset and Lockyer region.
The title is awarded by Excellence in Family Day Care Awards, which aims to showcase achievements in family day care.
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