For more than four decades, Mountain Community Children’s Centre has been part of the Mangrove Mountain community. Today, Centre Director Louisa is continuing a family legacy while helping new educators build their skills and confidence in the industry.
Mountain Community Children’s Centre has always been about community.
More than 40 years ago, Louisa’s parents joined with other local families who saw a need for a preschool in the area. An old school building was sitting empty, so the group approached the government, secured the space and got to work.
There were fundraising drives, working bees, fences to put up, turf to lay, sandpits to build and climbing equipment to create.
“That was kind of where it started,” says Louisa.
Today, the community-based, not-for-profit Centre provides long day care for around 90 children across the week, from babies through to school age. As the only service of its kind in the immediate area, some families travel up to an hour to get there.
Growing up alongside the Centre
Louisa first stepped through the doors as a 16-year-old completing her Year 10 work placement.
“My mum had said to me, ‘Maybe that would be a good job,’” she recalls. “And I thought, ‘Actually, that would be a great job.’”
The director at the time was impressed and invited her back for casual work during the school holidays.
From there, Louisa went on to complete her diploma through TAFE, later studied an early childhood degree and eventually stepped into the Director role.
She has now worked at Mountain Community Children’s Centre for more than 30 years and has been Director for around 25 of them.
That longevity extends across the wider team too.
“We’ve got lots of long-term staff,” says Louisa. “Some have been here for 20 years, 10 years, five years. We don’t have really huge staff turnover.”
For Louisa, that says something important about the culture.
“If you look after your staff, then the whole service reaps the rewards because you’ve got happy staff who are happy to come to work.”
Learning what a qualification can’t teach
When asked what makes a great early childhood educator, Louisa points first to passion, motivation and a commitment to quality care and education.
But there are some things she believes only experience can teach.
“You can go and read your books and do your paperwork, but actually working in the environment is different,” she says.
That’s one of the reasons Louisa values traineeships.
“I like having trainees so that we can teach them, ‘This is what quality early childhood education and care looks like. Come in, have a look and see what it’s about.’”
Trainees bring enthusiasm, commitment and a willingness to learn, while experienced educators have an opportunity to pass their knowledge on.
And the results are visible. Six educators currently working at the Centre originally started there as trainees.
Watching confidence grow
For Louisa, one of the most rewarding parts of hosting trainees is seeing the difference between their first few weeks and the months that follow.
“You see them become more confident talking to parents. You see them become more confident communicating with other educators,” she says.
“They start showing initiative. They don’t have to ask anymore because they know what needs to be done.”
Trainees often begin in the Centre’s Joeys room, working with babies and learning everyday caregiving skills such as feeding, sleep routines and nappy changes.
Over time, Louisa watches them begin to recognise children’s individual routines and cues and become part of the team.
“You watch them come in quite shy and not really knowing what to do, especially if they’ve never been in this industry before, and then you watch them grow and learn.”
Current CCGT trainee Emma is one example.
“She’s just a really good fit,” says Louisa. “There are four educators in the room and they all get on like a house on fire.”
Emma is enjoying the experience just as much.
“I love coming in and seeing the kids every day, building new skills, achieving milestones and developing that trust and friendship with them,” says Emma. “It’s so rewarding.”
More than ‘just babysitting’
One misconception Louisa would like to see disappear is the idea that early childhood education is simply babysitting.
“It’s really not. It’s a whole lot more,” she says.
“You’re teaching children life skills that they take with them when they go off to school. There’s a huge responsibility.”
It can be demanding work, both physically and mentally, but Louisa says the reward is seeing the difference educators make in children’s lives.
“We often have children from when they’re babies right through until they head off to school. You watch them grow, and then you’re proud when they go off to school confident, happy and with some resilience.”
For anyone considering entering the profession, her message is simple.
“It’s a hard job, but it’s a very rewarding job. You can definitely make an impact and a difference on a child’s life and their family’s life.”
Passing knowledge on
After more than three decades in the industry, Louisa knows experienced educators won’t be there forever.
“Us old girls will be retiring one day,” she laughs.
For her, developing new educators is about making sure that knowledge is passed on.
“It’s nice to train new and younger educators, share your knowledge with them and mentor them so that they can continue on and eventually take over your role.”
For Louisa, some of the most rewarding moments are the ones she gets to observe from a distance.
“You might just be observing them from a distance and you’re watching them get down on the children’s level and talk to them, or share a really lovely experience with them,” says Louisa.
“That’s the most rewarding part. Seeing those beautiful interactions.”
A partnership that makes the process easier
Mountain Community Children’s Centre has worked with CCGT for both hosted trainees and traditional recruitment.
For Louisa, the biggest benefit is having support throughout the process.
“It saves me a lot of time,” she says, pointing to the recruitment screening CCGT manages before suitable candidates reach the Centre.
The support continues after recruitment, with CCGT Workforce Consultant Amanda regularly checking in with Emma and the Centre throughout the placement.
“You feel like you’re not on your own then as a Director, because sometimes it can be quite an isolating job,” says Louisa.
“It’s a great partnership to feel like you’ve got someone there.”
She’s already recommending CCGT to others.
“I had another Director asking me which recruitment agency we used, so I referred you on.”
Interested in partnering with CCGT?
Whether you’re looking to take on your first trainee or want support finding the right person for your team, CCGT can help with recruitment, employment and ongoing support.
📞 02 4353 2655
✉️ info@ccgt.com.au
CCGT’s Host Employer Spotlight series features the local businesses we partner with. We support a diverse range of industries here on the Central Coast, but they all have one thing in common. A commitment to providing a supportive, hands-on learning environment for our apprentices and trainees.
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