Tammy Davis was born in the small town of Mungindi on the border of New South Wales and Queensland and was brought up by her Nan at Dubbo in central west NSW.

She is a single mum with three daughters who has found a job she loves, working with children at the Regand Park Early Childhood Centre.

After completing a Certificate III in aged care and childcare through training organisation the Replay Group, Tammy initially worked in aged care but came to realise that she was more suited to working with children.

Replay is funded by the Australian Government to provide aged care and childcare training and employment placements for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

”I have been here for three and a half years in the toddlers room and we are doing some amazing things. I think it is so important for a child’s development that in the first five years they build a really strong foundation and a love of learning. My daughter went through the centre here and I look at her in kindy now and she is just thriving,” Tammy said.

Tammy is now doing further studies and on top of working and raising her daughters, life can be difficult at times.

“It can be a struggle, I am now studying for my diploma as well as working and also having the three girls but I have a great support network at the centre and I find I enjoy going to work to get that support.

“But at the same time I am showing my girls that if you really want something in life you have to go out and work for it and I think that is just so important for them to learn that and to actually see their mum doing it,” Tammy said.

Tammy draws on her own childhood experiences when working with the kids to make sure the time that they spend at the centre is special.

“I really love building relationships with the children and their families, supporting their learning as well as being a voice for them. I went through a traumatic childhood and I love to help the children that need that extra support,” Tammy said.

Tammy’s Nan, Marie Warfield is so proud of what she has achieved, a big thrill for her was when a story and photo of Tammy appeared in the local newspaper, the Daily Liberal.

“My Nan raised me and she sees a lot of the positive things that I am doing now. She saw the article in the paper and she was so happy. She raised 13 children and then she took me and my 3 cousins on, so she loves to see what I am achieving now.”

Tammy has also been recognised for her outstanding work at Regand Park, her boss recently nominated Tammy for an Australian Family Early Education and Care Award in the Rising Star category. Tammy finished in the top 10 nationally and 3^rd overall in NSW.

“I was totally shocked because I didn’t expect it, but it’s given me a drive now to follow my passion which is to help Indigenous children to stay in school and to reinforce to them that education is the key to having a better life,” Tammy said.