For two decades Dubbo's Cathy Buckley has championed before- and after-school care as having "real value" to children and their working parents.
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Under her leadership, Orana Heights After School Care (ASC) has expanded to offer three programs at its purpose-built centre.
It's been an organisation that caters for all children, and mentors the next generation of educators.
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Mrs Buckley, service coordinator, is in the running for the outstanding business leader award at the Western NSW Regional Business Awards on May 10, after winning a Dubbo Chamber of Commerce Rhino Award in October.
Mrs Buckley was the coordinator of Orana Heights ASC at its inception in 1998, when it started with 30 children each day.
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She has been with the organisation for 17 of its 21 years and in that time the ASC program has grown to cater for 60 children.
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It was also the first before-school care service at Dubbo, a program that by 2019 catered for 30 children per day in the morning, Mrs Buckley reported.
Vacation care had also been added, with 45 children coming through the doors each day.
Mrs Buckley has a passion for her work, despite the industry often going "under the radar".
I do think some people think it's an industry that's just a babysitting service, and it's not that at all.
- Cathy Buckley
"I do think some people think it's an industry that's just a babysitting service, and it's not that at all," she said.
"We do a lot with children's social development... most of the learning children do is through play."
She also believes the programs are an important service to the community.
With many families having to move locations for work, they often did not have the same family networks to help them any more, Mrs Buckley said.
"The families that come to us don't usually have a lot of networks, so they look at us as a real value, to their family to be there," she said.
"And it's really nice to work in an industry where you are valued because the children are happy..."
Ten per cent of the organisation's enrolments are children with additional needs.
"I've always believed childcare is a right for every family and sometimes children who have special needs or additional high needs find it difficult to find that place that is safe for them to attend," Mrs Buckley said.
As the boss, Mrs Buckley has seen 23 of her staff to go on to become teachers, a result that pleases her.
The coordinator is also the architect of a mentor program for Year 6 students.
In it, they can choose to start on a pathway to later become a volunteer when at high school, and ultimately an educator, giving them a start in the workplace.
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