Tanya McMillan heads Goodstart's Inclusion Support Team in Goodna, where she ensures all children can access and engage fully in learning and growth by providing families and children with the developmental support they need to thrive. Her impactful work is based on building strategic connections with local organisations and practitioners, as well as with fellow teachers.

“Networking and building relationships with other teachers is critical for support, encouragement, inspiration, advice and guidance. You don’t have to do it alone,” she said.

Over 1500 early childhood educators across Goodstart’s entire teaching community are now receiving a wealth of intervention strategies and resources, thanks to Ms McMillan’s efforts in creating video resources that guide and support children's behaviour.

She also helped create an Early Intervention Community (EIC), where more than 50 children and their families have so far received services from two speech and language organisations, an occupational therapist and a physiotherapist.

In addition, the specialists bring together the centre’s teachers and educators as a team to set and achieve goals.

“By creating this community, we’ve noticed that families are more comfortable accessing these early intervention services, because these new support relationships are based on the ones they’ve already formed,” she said.

“Our early intervention therapists also noticed that children’s progress and development on their goals progressed at a faster rate because teachers and educators participated in the sessions.”

Ms McMillan also personally created one of the centre's most loved and valued spaces – ‘The Koala Hideaway', a sensory and early intervention therapy room that helped to reduce COVID disruption.

“I looked back on our relationships with our communities and how these could continue to be supported,” she said.

“After restrictions had eased, we were able to open the hideaway to facilitate numerous intervention sessions as well as small group learning experiences across our everyday programs.”

Currently, Ms McMillan is working with Goodstart Early Learning on Universal Inclusion Support and a Behaviour Support Kit by Dr Suzy Tamone to embed resources and strategies to help make sure their teachers and educators meet the needs of all children.

Staff and families have found the Behaviour Guidance and Inclusion Resources to be an invaluable resource. In addition to local contact information, it includes speech and development milestones, communication with medical practitioners and general communication support.

Described by fellow teachers as someone who motivates and empowers teachers, educators, children and families alike, she continues to show how early childhood educators play a vital role in educational leadership.

Ms McMillan is a finalist at the Queensland College of Teachers TEACHX Awards, in the Excellent Leadership in Teaching and Learning category.

Winners will be announced October 27th, on the eve of World Teachers’ Day in Queensland.