Meet our exceptional team, dedicated to nurturing young minds and hearts.

They seek to work in harmony with each other, parents, the children and the community.

Erica Strong

Director & Kindy Manager | Carmichael Kids & Kindy

Hi, my name is Erica, and I am the Service Director/Kindy Manager here at Carmichael Kids Child Care and Early Learning Centre. My career in the care and education sector began 30 years ago and over this time, I have worked with children of all ages from Nursery to Kindy. Each of the roles I have been in I have found rewarding in many different ways and it is now my privilege to be part of the team here at Carmichael Kids and Kindy. During my career I have strived to build lasting relationships with the children and families in my care, ensuring that the children feel safe and secure to enable them to be confident and engaged learners. Watching a child grow and develop in a nurturing environment is a privilege and a blessing.

Our wonderful team here at Carmichael Kids and Kindy ensures that the children’s care and education is of the highest quality. Our Christ-centred approach to teaching encompasses the values of love, kindness, patience, dependability and trust, which is modelled by loving families, consistent educators and various members of the Carmichael community.

Our aim is to provide an environment where each child feels a sense of belonging, that they are valued and loved and that they are capable of great things. I believe that each child has the right to be recognized and respected as an individual, with the strong belief that they are a unique and special gift from God.

Kiri Drew

Kids Manager | Carmichael Kids & Kindy

Hi there! I’m Kiri, the Manager and Nominated Supervisor of the Kids building at Carmichael Kids Early Learning Service. I am mother of three young boys and had been working within the Early Education sector for 17 years, before having the fortunate opportunity to join the Carmichael Kids community in 2021.

I feel truly blessed to have such an incredible team of amazing educators, leadership and support staff, who bring God’s word into the lives of the children and community here at our service. Our team works in partnership with our families and community, to ensure children are given the best opportunity to learn through play, presented with engaging learning environments that challenge their skills and thinking, and discover what God’s wonderful creation has to offer them.

The early years are such an exciting time in a child’s learning and development, and to be a part of so many children’s early years’ experience and to be Manager at Carmichael Kids is such an honour.

Samantha Smith

Service Operations Manager | Carmichael Kids & Kindy

Hi! I’m Sam and I am the Service Operations Manager at Carmichael Kids Child Care and Early Learning Centre.

I am mother of one beautiful daughter and have been working in the Early Childhood Education and Care Sector for 12 years. I have been very fortunate to have spent a significant amount of that time here at Carmichael in various roles since 2017 including Lead Educator, OSHC Coordinator, Educational Leader and now stepping into my current role as the Service Operations Manager.

Having a career in Early Childhood Educational and Care is a rewarding one, and being able to have such a big impact on so many lives is something pretty special. I truly believe that these early years provide the foundation for success for children and develop a life-long love of learning that is so crucial as our children enter into formal school settings and beyond. I am grateful to be able to support all members of our team to ensure we are providing the highest quality of care and early childhood education to all children enrolled with us and feel such pride in the amazing team that we have.