A Career of Care: How Tracey Found Renewed Inspiration at the FDCA National Conference

For Queensland family day care educator Tracey, caring for children isn’t just a job, it’s a lifelong calling shaped by experience, reflection and deep understanding. With more than 20 years of experience in early childhood education, she has dedicated her career to creating safe, emotionally attuned learning environments that build connections and engage young learners.

After working in centre-based care, and other industries, Tracey chose family day care so she could bring her knowledge and expertise into a home-based setting. “I am really passionate about being with the children and having fun while they learn,” she explained.

Her practice reflects that passion. Tracey has worked intentionally to create a calm, nurturing environment for the children in her care, where children form meaningful bonds both with her and with each other. “I have that connection with the children and I take pride in knowing that it's a safe, calm space. They also have that connection with each other,” said Tracey.

Tracey now has a thriving family day care practice in Moranbah, a mining town in regional Queensland, where childcare options are limited and families often struggle to find support that aligns with the demands of shift work and mining rosters.

The main employer in the area, BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA), is working with Family Day Care Australia (FDCA) to address the child care needs of the community, with an understanding that centre-based care doesn’t always meet the requirements of its employees.

Offering care for children ranging in ages from infant to school-aged, Tracey provides an invaluable service to a community that has long faced child care shortages. Care for infants is very difficult to find, with even fewer options available.

“The community does have limited childcare availability and being able to offer connection and high-quality care for families, I do take pride in that,” said Tracey.

For Tracey, as with many regional educators, accessing face to face professional development can be difficult. Travel, flights and accommodation, together with a potential loss of income, can make attending professional development out of reach for educators in regional and remote areas.

 As Tracey explains, “most of our professional development is online,” she said. “It’s good, but it’s not the same. You don’t get the energy, the ideas, the connection.”

Recognising these barriers, FDCA together with BMA collaborated to support educators in regional communities like Moranbah, by reducing the barriers associated with the cost of professional development and sector engagement.

Through this partnership, Tracey was invited to attend the FDCA 2025 National Conference in Melbourne, with funding support for travel and accommodation.

Tracey had wanted to attend the FDCA National Conference before but could not attend due to the cost and the time away from her family. She was very grateful to receive funding from BMA and FDCA.

“I would never have been able to go without the funding. I can't justify the expense. I know that it's a business cost, but there's other things that I could spend that money on within my practice,” said Tracey.

The professional development opportunities Tracey experienced at the FDCA National Conference have reignited her passion for early childhood education.

“This experience has left me feeling grateful, inspired, reflective, and more confident in the work I do each day,” she explained.

Tracey explained to the families that any knowledge gained from the conference would be embedded into the children’s daily experiences. One of her key takeaways was recognising the power of everyday interactions, along with practical strategies on conscious communication.

“I’ve already begun implementing new approaches to communication, intentional teaching, and emotional regulation, and I can see the positive difference it’s making in the children’s engagement and wellbeing,” she said.

Tracey notes that although she sometimes finds conferences daunting, attending the conference, where every session is tailored for family day care, was incredibly valuable.

“It was honestly one of the best things I've ever been to. The sessions, together with meeting and talking to other people that have the same ideas, the same passion, reinforced that family day care is really special.” 

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