National Reconciliation Week in our Children’s Services

At YWCA Canberra we value the importance of reconciliation and commit ourselves to the participation and movement towards a more equal, just and unified country. During this time of celebration, we reflect on the strengths, resilience and contributions of our fellow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and extend our support to all areas of reconciliation that still requires attention.

In honour of National Reconciliation Week (NRW), our early childhood education and care services have organised a number of experiences to engage children in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural awareness. During these experiences, we aim to enlighten the children of the many incredible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of thinking, teaching and living. We hope that by instilling these values early on, we can encourage children to think about the importance of Indigenous culture as they continue to move throughout their life.

Currawong Early Childhood Service

At our Currawong Early Childhood Centre, our brilliant staff have organised a Ngunnawal language dance service to celebrate the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our community. During this activity, pre-schoolers will be involved in a range of experiences where they will get to identify the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags, symbols and colours from a small selection of pictures. Following this, the children will then have the opportunity to craft paper plate snakes, inspired by the dream time story of the Rainbow Serpent.

In the toddler room, our educators will be working with the children to create a “We are all one,” poster that will be decorated with beautiful colours and painted handprints. The purpose of this poster is to highlight the diverse ethnic groups that make up our country and represent a symbol of unity for NRW.

Lastly, to tie in the themes of reconciliation, educators will paint the nursery with all colours of the Aboriginal, Australian, and Torres Strait Islander Flags. Upon creating this display the educators will then talk to the children about the meanings behind each of the colours and symbols.

Conder Early Childhood Service

At our Conder Early Childhood Service, our educators have planned to create a display in the foyer acknowledging the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people of the land.

For our pre-schoolers, our educators will be conducting an Acknowledgement of Country within the foyer as a way to introduce the children to the presence and significance of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population.

In the baby room, educators will be working with the children to create a special artwork to be hung on the wall. The artwork will consist of the children’s hands and footprints and will be used to represent a symbol of unity for reconciliation week.

In the toddler room, the children will be participating in a range of crafting activities where they will be creating artworks using photos and prints of the land.

Lastly, to help the children stay engaged with Indigenous culture throughout the week, our staff will be exposing the children to different Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, symbols and stories to help raise cultural awareness.

Fairley Early Childhood Service

In celebration of National Reconciliation Week, our Fairley Early Childhood Services team have organised a range of activities that allow both our staff and the children to participate in.

In the Nursery room, children will have the ability to participate in a range of sensory activities, where they will be able to touch textures found in Aboriginal artworks while listening to stories of Aboriginal artists.

During the week, the toddler room will also be converted into a nature floor book space, where children will be encouraged to make connections between nature play and Playing on Country.

Lastly, for the children in our pre-school cohort, our educators will be screening Warumuk on ABC, a collaborative dance performance between Bangarra and the Australian Ballet.

Chiara Will

Chiara is Director of School Age Care at YWCA Canberra, bringing a wealth of knowledge and a diverse range of leadership and management experience across the Early Childhood Education sector. Having held roles from Administration Officer to Centre Director, she brings a holistic skill base and a strength in solution-based approaches to learning. 

Prior to joining YWCA Canberra, Chiara led a team of over 25 educators, driving policy development, professional training and development, and contributing to Quality Improvement, Sustainability, Reconciliation, and Strategic Inclusion Action Plans. 

In her current role, Chiara leads the strategic development of processes and systems that ensure high-quality, safe, and inclusive environments for children. She mentors and empowers managers, leaders, and educators to deliver best-practice programs aligned with regulatory standards, fosters strong stakeholder partnerships, and guides the Quality Support Team in managing compliance and quality assurance across services. 

Shane McAlpine

Shane is Director of Children’s Services (ECEC) at YWCA Canberra, overseeing eight early learning services with 24 years of experience in the early childhood sector. He brings an extensive understanding of education and care, current practices, and regulatory requirements, with a robust approach to developing high-quality practitioners. 

Shane supports the day-to-day operation of educational practices and curriculum across all our early learning centres, with quality and pedagogical practice at the forefront. He plays a critical role in providing escalation support and mentorship to centre directors and educators alike. 

His professional passions include children’s rights, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander inclusion and teaching perspectives, and advocacy for the early childhood profession. He is an active representative on the ACT committee of Early Childhood Australia. 

As a father of two children who have experienced the early years system firsthand, Shane brings a deeply personal understanding of the challenges families face in balancing work and parenting. This perspective shapes his inclusive, stakeholder-centred approach to service delivery across every centre he works with. 

Katherine Hellwig

Katherine is the Executive Director of Children’s Services at YWCA Canberra, bringing over 23 years of extensive experience in delivering education and care in ACT and the surrounding areas of the city. Her career spans both not-for-profit and commercial providers, highlighting her versatile and adaptable nature. 

For over 11 years, Katherine has held an executive role within a not-for-profit organisation that experienced significant growth in its early education and care portfolio. Her responsibilities included managing programs and initiatives that fostered engagement within the local community. 

Katherine began her career as an educator, and this hands-on experience has given her a profound understanding of the critical role educators play in the lives of children and families. Her qualifications include an Advanced Diploma of Children’s Services, an Undergraduate Certificate in Service Management, and a Diploma of Leadership and Management. In 2018, Katherine was honoured with the Community for Children’s Award by the ACT Children’s Week Committee, recognising her dedication and impact on the community.  

Katherine is driven by a strong pedagogical belief that all children have the right to access quality early learning in their first five years of life. She focuses on delivering high-quality education and care in both early education and after school care programs, ensuring children receive the best start in life.  

Frances Crimmins

Frances Crimmins is the Chief Executive Officer of YWCA Canberra and has led the organisation since 2013, driving significant growth, high-quality integrated service delivery, and stronger corporate efficiency. Under her leadership, the non-profit organisation has become a courageous community advocate, ensuring the needs of vulnerable communities are seen, heard, and addressed locally and nationally. 

Frances brings a diverse background spanning the private and not-for-profit sectors across business, hospitality, healthcare, and community services. She remains a passionate advocate for policy initiatives addressing the root causes of women’s housing insecurity, homelessness, gender inequality, and gender-based violence. 

Frances also currently serves as Chair of Homelessness Australia and sits on the ACT Work Health Safety Advisory Council. Her former board roles include ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS), WESNET, the ACT Ministerial Advisory Committee for Women, and Co-Chair of Anti-Poverty Week in the ACT. 

Her leadership has been recognised with an Edna Ryan Award (2015), ACT Leader of the Year at the Australian Leadership Excellence Awards (2016), and selection into the inaugural Social Impact Leadership Australia (SILA) program (2021). Frances regularly represents YWCA Canberra at the United Nations Commission for the Status of Women in New York. 

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