Love of children leads to honour

A Keilor Park resident has been honoured for her self-run day-care centre in Melbourne’s west.

Malaysian migrant Chai Fong Khew, 54, was last week named the best day-care centre educator in the western suburbs in the 2013 Excellence in Family Day Care awards.

Ms Fong Khew says she was inspired to start her own day-care centre more than 13 years ago to cater for working mums.

“I have always loved children, with four of my own,” she says.
“I have the patience to look after children and I like to see them grow in a nurturing environment.”

She says speaking Cantonese, Mandarin and Malay also helps her to connect with culturally and linguistically diverse families.

“I care for a very culturally diverse group of children,” she says. “There are African, Italian, Chinese and Malaysian and local Australian families, too.”

She was nominated by the parents of the children she cares for.