Celebrating the People at the Heart of Sanctuary

Behind every child who feels safe, every family who feels welcomed and every meaningful learning experience at Sanctuary Early Learning Adventure is a team of people who make it possible.

Some contributions are easy to see. Others happen quietly: an educator who knows exactly when a child needs extra reassurance, a teammate who steps in without being asked, a leader who helps someone grow in confidence, or the person who somehow keeps everything moving behind the scenes.

We believe those moments deserve to be noticed.

This year, our teams and families submitted an incredible 620 nominations as part of our 2026 Sanctuary Awards.

The nominations recognised people across five major award categories: Rising Star, Lead Educator of the Year, Heart of the Centre, Family Partnership and Educator of the Year, alongside eight lighter awards celebrating some of the wonderfully specific talents that make each centre team their own.

In August, we brought our teams together at six local Long Lunch celebrations to recognise our recipients and, just as importantly, celebrate the people and relationships behind the nominations.

What emerged across the six centres was not one story, but six.

At Sanctuary Ashmore, we heard about a team that notices and steps in for one another.

At Sanctuary Buderim, the nominations reflected a team that genuinely knows, cares for and supports each other.

At Highfields Child Care Centre, 129 nominations included beautiful recognition from families and stories of educators whose relationships have grown alongside children over many years.

At Sanctuary Health & Knowledge Precinct, we celebrated people who can be counted on to step into any studio, support wherever they are needed and build trust across the centre.

At Sanctuary Redlynch, two themes stood out: a team of makers and a team committed to growing and mentoring one another.

And at Sanctuary Maudsland, the nominations celebrated not only the big contributions, but the little things that can so easily go unseen and make an enormous difference to a centre every day.

Meet the people behind each centre

We have captured the stories behind this year's awards in a special article for each Sanctuary community.

Ashmore: The People Who Make Ashmore, Ashmore

Buderim: A Team That Knows, Cares and Shows Up

Highfields: 129 Reasons to Celebrate at Highfields

Health & Knowledge Precinct: The People You Can Count On at HKP

Maudsland: The Little Things That Make a Big Difference

Redlynch: Growing Children, Growing Each Other

Follow your centre's story to meet this year's recipients and discover why their teammates and families chose to recognise them.

Perhaps the most meaningful number from this year's celebrations is not how many awards were presented.

It is 620.

Six hundred and twenty times, somebody stopped to recognise another person.

They noticed the educator their child runs towards in the morning. The teammate who makes a difficult day easier. The person who shares their knowledge generously. The leader who believes in someone else's potential. The person whose everyday contribution makes their centre a better place to be.

Awards can only recognise some of those moments.

But taking the time to see and celebrate one another is something every member of our community can be part of.

To our 2026 recipients, everyone who received a nomination and every member of our Sanctuary teams: thank you for the difference you make to our children, families and each other every day.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Recent Articles From Sanctuary

It Takes a Village: How Partnerships Support Children and Families in the Early Years

By Emma Rossely • October 14, 2026

There's an old saying that it takes a village to raise a child. And while the world has changed considerably since those words were first spoken, the sentiment behind them feels just as important today. Because behind every child who is learning, growing, discovering and finding their place in the world, there are people helping them along the way. Parents, grandparents, siblings, educators, friends and neighbours. People who celebrate the milestones, offer reassurance on the difficult days and help children feel that they belong. In early childhood education, strong partnerships between families, educators and the wider community help children feel safe, supported and connected. These relationships bring together the people who know and care for a child, creating a network of support that extends well beyond the childcare centre. At Sanctuary Early Learning Adventure, we believe these connections are at the heart of a meaningful early learning experience.