Andrea came into the early childhood sector by creating a service for her own children, Leor, which provides children with access to quality education and care in their own home.

It quickly evolved to deliver early intervention to children accessing the NDIS and now incorporates holistic allied health therapies. Early childhood education has been a lifelong passion, from her mother’s own Montessori school in Sri Lanka, to going on to complete a Graduate Diploma in Educational Studies (Early Years) at the Australian Catholic University after establishing Leor in 2018. In October 2021, Leor was acquired by G8 Education and Andrea was appointed to the Executive Leadership Team of G8 where she brings a child-centred voice to the future direction of the organisation. Andrea advocates to Government and other leaders to create systems change for children in vulnerable and complex circumstances who often fall between the gaps. Andrea is also a lawyer and has a passion for social justice and human rights.

“The future success of our sector and Australia’s children is dependent on our commitment to collaborating and advocating for systemic and societal change. However, structural change alone, including policy reform, will not be enough to create a brighter future for our children. Addressing power imbalances, removing societal biases, and adopting innovative thinking has the potential for exciting results, which will hopefully achieve greater access to education for all children. To be a success, this new approach needs to be tackled from numerous angles, with input invited from a multitude of people, organisations and perspectives.”