Ballarat family day care educator Melissa Dreger crowned Australia's National Educator of the Year

Family Day Care Australia's National Educator of the Year, Sebastopol family day carer Melissa Dreger, said over the past two years the number of inquiries she had received had increased.

Around 150 babies and children aged from eight weeks to 13 years are cared for each week in the City of Ballarat's Family Day Care program for which Ms Dreger works.

Ms Dreger is so passionate about family day care that she mentors other family day care educators across the country so more children can benefit from high-quality care in educators' homes.

Ms Dreger received her National Educator of the Year award last month at the Family Day Care Australia Excellence in Family Day Care Awards.

"This award doesn't have a lot to do with me, instead it has everything to do with those who stand beside me every day and that's because community is everything," Ms Dreger said.

"As educators we are really influential people. We have got a fundamentally important role in today's society to nurture and inspire and shape future minds and as family day care educators was are just as important as any other educator in the early childhood space.

"I went in to this role initially thinking I will inspire little humans ... but over the years I have become a mentor to other educators. I was mentored in this industry by some really spectacular educators and now just want to give back to other educators.

"When I can help another educator I feel like a wider cohort of children benefit so I'm driven to build a really supportive community around me."

Ms Dreger has been providing family day care for seven years, but previously worked in long day care centres. She currently cares for 11 children aged from one to seven across the course of a week, with family day carers allowed a maximum four four children under school age, as well as up to three school age children at any one time.

"Family day care is really unique because you can get engagement with the children that you can't in other services. You get to know the children really intimately and beautifully - I know the children in my services really profoundly.

"Educators quickly realise that one person can make a difference. I can't teach every child in the world but I can make a difference for the ones that I do support and educate."

Family day care is governed by the same rules and regulation as sessional kindergarten and long day care with the same high expectations and programs. The only difference with family day care is families need back up care if their educator is sick.

Ms Dreger said COVID was challenging for family day carers, particularly last year being confined to home, unable to go on excursions or see other educators.

But her children maintained connections with a local nursing home, talking to residents on Facetime and completing other activities.

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She even had some school-aged children in her care who did remote learning with her.

Family Day Care Australia chief executive Andrew Paterson said Ms Dreger's nominators had highlighted her professionalism and her passion for inclusion.

"As a family day care educator, Ms Dreger is not only enjoying a richly rewarding career but is a leader among one of Australia's largest networks of women in small business," Mr Paterson said.

City of Ballarat mayor Cr Daniel Moloney said the win was recognition of Ms Dreger's exceptional skills in the family day care sector.

"Ms Dreger is consistently recognised as being excellent in her field and it is heartening to see our family day care educators being so passionate, inclusive and innovative in this field," he said.

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