Six early childhood services and three early childhood leaders from around the country have been named finalists for the 2026 HESTA Early Childhood Education & Care Awards.
The nine finalists each demonstrate innovation and excellence within the early childhood sector and were selected from 177 nominations across three categories: Advancing Pedagogy and Practice, Outstanding Service, and Individual Leadership.
HESTA Chief Experience Officer Lisa Samuels congratulated the finalists and said their work highlighted the value of trusting educators to test new ideas and innovate.
“What stands out about this group is the depth of impact they are having in communities across the country. Making sure that work is seen is something that HESTA cares about deeply,” Ms Samuels said.
“The incredible finalists include people who questioned what school readiness really means, undertook groundbreaking child-led research to improve teaching methods, and extended learning well beyond the fence line.”
The finalists include a South Australian kindergarten that built a meaningful partnership with a service in Qingdao, China, an individual who rallied an entire community to keep her centre’s doors open in Melbourne, and a preschool in Byron Bay that is addressing inclusion gaps across the Northern Rivers.
Now in their 12th year, the awards shine a light on the educators and carers who do the day-to-day work of Australia’s early childhood education system.
The HESTA Early Childhood Education & Care Awards are supported by major sponsor AIA Australia, who will support each winner with $10,000 in prize money to be used for professional development or to improve workplace services or processes.
“We congratulate all finalists and thank them for the positive and lasting difference they make in the lives of children, families and communities every day,” AIA Australia Chief Executive Officer Damien Mu said.
The winners will be announced on 2 October 2026 in Melbourne.
Introducing the 2026 HESTA Early Childhood Education & Care Awards finalists:
Advancing Pedagogy and Practice
Kinglake Ranges Children’s Centre – VIC
Kinglake Ranges Children’s Centre is recognised for reimagining early childhood practice and school readiness through ‘Our Voices, Our Future’, an integrated relational pedagogy that empowers children’s agency through nature-based learning and community connection. Working with families impacted by trauma and socio-economic disadvantage, the Centre has lifted developmental outcomes above national benchmarks while improving children’s wellbeing and community resilience.
Lantana Kindergarten – SA
Lantana Kindergarten is recognised for strengthening children’s understanding of their role as active citizens and focused on extending their sense of belonging beyond the local community. Fostering an awareness of global citizenship, they created the ‘Friends over the Ocean’ project and built an authentic partnership with a kindergarten in Qingdao, China.
Nathan Chu and Stella Pabon – MacGregor Outside School Hours Care – QLD
MacGregor Outside School Hours Care is recognised for groundbreaking child-led research that asked children to define what makes a quality educator. Using multimodal, rights-based methods, Nathan Chu and Stella Pabon produced seven child-identified educator qualities that have reshaped its program and are contributing to international discourse on extended education.
Individual Leadership
Emma Forsyth, ECMS – VIC
Emma Forsyth is recognised for bridging research, policy, and practice across 76 early childhood services as Head of Pedagogy at ECMS in Victoria. Through a pioneering relational model for professional growth, national research collaboration, and Indigenous education partnerships, Emma is building educator capability and delivering equitable, high-quality learning for children from birth to eight years.
Kristy Hyndes, Gilgandra Preschool – NSW
Kristy Hyndes is recognised for building educator capability as the cornerstone of quality outcomes in rural early childhood education. As Director of Gilgandra Preschool, her workforce frameworks, distributed leadership model and ‘From the Stem Up’ conference have transformed practice, with children recording remarkable developmental gains across the service.
Sam Vale, Windsor Community Children’s Centre – VIC
Sam Vale, the Director of Windsor Community Children’s Centre (WCCC), is recognised for her leadership in the two-year community campaign to save WCCC from closure, securing $8.4 million in combined federal and council funding, achieving record-breaking government submissions, and delivering bipartisan political support. Most importantly, her work has helped ensure 54 children retain access to quality early childhood education in their area.
Outstanding Service
Balnarring Preschool – VIC
Balnarring Preschool is recognised for its 15-year collaboration with Boonwurrung Elders to weave First Nations language, stories and Country into daily preschool life. Through the Ngarnga Biik outdoor program the children learn with Country, and the team hosts an annual conference drawing over 400 educators to support reconciliation in early childhood education across Victoria and beyond.
Byron Bay Preschool Coogera – NSW
Byron Bay Preschool Coogera is recognised for addressing inclusion gaps across its Northern Rivers community through intergenerational programs, a licensed bush preschool, and Village Vibes family support groups. Staff-led research drives continuous quality improvement, and the service has engaged over 70 previously isolated families, earning Australia’s highest early childhood education rating.
C&K Woodford Community Kindergarten – QLD
C&K Woodford Community Kindergarten is recognised for embedding authentic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture into every aspect of its practice. On Jinibara Country in rural Queensland, educators built genuine community partnerships, transformed their physical environment, and created a culturally safe space where every child’s identity is seen and celebrated.
