Maurita Cavanough is a Bundjalung woman from Ballina NSW, who has worked in the Early Childhood sector for the last 20 years.

As the director of Jarjum Centre, an aboriginal early childhood service, Maurita has overseen a transformative approach to education. And in 2020 Maurita joined both the Board of the North Coast Aboriginal Alliance and the NSW ECED Aboriginal advisory group. The NSW ECED Aboriginal Advisory group co-designed with the Department the First Steps strategy which was launched in 2021. Maurita recognises that working with a system lens provides a great method to collaborate and co-design with many knowledge holders effectively and constructively. Systems thinking is how she has learnt to culturally identify, make meaning and connection to the world around her. She has a strong belief that to learn and act collaboratively there must be a shared vision and opportunity to hear and learn from one another.

"The early childhood sector should be reflective and responsive to the context of the community that it is situated in. I also recognise that our world is quickly changing, and I think that now is a great time to consider how to better prepare children for the future."