Michelle Oellerman reading to her family day care students Henry Eade, Jack Clymo, Oliver Eade and Bobby Maher.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
Local educator Michelle Oellerman has been named the Mildura and Murray Region Educator Award winner in this year’s Family Day Care Awards.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
The award recognises the dedication of family day care educators who support children’s development in a home-based environment for more than 50,000 families around Australia.
Although Ms Oellerman has won the award for the past two years now, she said it still came as a surprise to claim the award this year.
“It was an absolute shock. I was very, very happy,” she said.
“I have been very fortunate to be nominated every single year that I have been doing day care.
“It’s just humbling to be nominated in the first place and surprisingly, I have been lucky enough to be selected.”
Michelle Oellerman has won the Mildura and Murray Region Educator Award as part of the national Family Day Care Awards.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
Mrs Oellerman’s educator journey began in South Africa, where she worked at a Kumon Maths and English Centre.
When she moved to Australia, she decided to follow her dream of working in the early childhood space and found a job at a daycare centre.
After 18 months, she left to start her own family day care and hasn’t looked back since.
Eight years later, she has taken care of many children, some having entered her care as babies and stayed until they began school.
Currently, she has a total of nine children, taking on four children at a time over five days.
With a smaller group of children to take care of, she is able to meet the unique needs of each child, focusing on different learning styles that resonate with each child.
Mrs Oellerman playing with Jack Clymo and Henry Eade.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
Mrs Oellerman said she still enjoyed her work now as much as she did when she began.
“The thing that I enjoy most is that no two days are the same. I still get as much joy and inspiration from them now as I did when I first started,” she said.
“They see the world differently to what adults do, and it’s those little moments of growth and learning that are just incredibly special.”
She added that her family’s support had been an important part of her success.
“I don’t actually thank my family enough, but this time around, I need to thank them for compromising their space for me to work from home,” she said.
“I have two teenagers, so I do need to thank them for being patient and for embracing it, and it’s so beautiful because it’s like they have younger siblings.”
Jack Clymo, Henry Eade, Bobby Maher and Oliver Eade are four of nine children in Ms Oellerman’s care.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
As a regional award winner, Michelle is now in the running to be named a national finalist for the 2025 Educator of the Year Award.
Four national educator finalists will be announced on Tuesday, September 16 with FDCA’s Educator of the Year winner being announced on Saturday, October 25 at the FDCA 2025 National Conference Gala Dinner in Melbourne.
16°C