Home is where the heart is for Chelsea Heath.
The 33-year-old, who was born in Sunshine and recently bought her first home in Melton, is the new manager at Mission Australia’s Keilor Village Early Learning Centre.
Ms Heath, who has more than 15 years’ child- care experience, says she is fiercely loyal to her western suburbs heritage and keen to give back to her community.
“I’ve found that not-for-profit centres really care for the children. You can put more back into the centre and it has more of a community feel,” she said.
“The most rewarding part of working in early learning is seeing the children develop and grow, achieving goals and taking steps to becoming well-rounded people,” she said.
Ms Heath has arrived in her new job at a busy time as the 70-place centre will undergo refurbishments next month.
The outdoor play area will be revamped to include a vegetable garden, while a new coat of paint will spruce up the interior.
Ms Heath says she will work to build a greater sense of community in her new role.
“Part of living and working in this part of town is experiencing multicultural people –families with very different backgrounds,” she said.
“All children are different and have different skills and strengths … we like to build a sense of belonging. Once you have that, the children are in the best place to learn and grow.”
