The Australian Nanny Association Committee is elected annually at the AGM. We welcome participation from our members and value the expertise and experience that each committee member brings to help ANA continue to achieve its goals.

How can I get involved? Become an ANA member and help the Australian nanny community provide high quality care in the home.

Melissa Dowden

President

is a career nanny from Melbourne with 10 years experience including 3 years in Europe. She became a strong advocate for nannies after she created Nanny Networks in states across Australia and saw the constant battles nannies and families were facing. She hopes to help the community by being a voice for nannies and help communicate the needs and concerns of nannies around Australia

Lauren Brown

Vice President and VIC media rep

Prior to her 4-year nanny career, Lauren spent 8 years working as an educator in the childcare industry. Lauren is passionate about professionalising the Nanny industry and support it’s evolution. She is passionate about lifting quality standards, improving working conditions for nannies and empowering beautiful impact with working families. Lauren holds a diploma in children’s services and now runs her own Agency.

BELINDA MCDONALD

Secretary

has been a professional nanny for 12 plus years. She holds certificate 3 in children’s services and works with multiple families across Melbourne. Belinda is very passionate about the professionalism of the nanny industry. She aims to increase awareness regarding employment/sole traders, minimum wage, tax and superannuation. Belinda also believes that regardless of experience or qualifications it is important to continually complete professional development to grow knowledge and skills.

Derek McKinnon

Treasurer and IT Officer

has a wide ranging experience, including working as a civil engineer and software developer. Eight years ago he joined his family childcare business learning he knew very little about child development. Entering the Nanny industry this year, Derek is committed to helping families find the best support during the early years of their childrens lives. So many critical developments occur in the child during their early years and our society does not provide the support and resources that struggling parents need. Derek holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours), and a Master of Business Administration. His objective is to provide high quality support and education to children and families in whatever way the family needs.

Annemarie

Past President and Public Officer

is a founding member of the Australian Nanny Association. Annemarie felt that nannies were being misrepresented in the media and wanted to share their positive experiences working as and with nannies. Annemarie has 20 years working with children including Centre based care, social welfare, nannying and currently as an Agency owner. Annemarie has a Diploma in Community Services and Certificate 3 in Childrens Services.

Amy Blain

Nanny Membership Officer

started her career 18 years ago as a childcare educator in LDC and has been working as a nanny for the past year.

She holds a Diploma of Childrens Services and is also a mother of 3 young daughters.

Amy is very excited to join the ANA committee and looks forward to helping support and strengthen the Australian nanny industry.

Annie Sargood

Agency Membership Officer

is an extremely passionate advocate for the nanny industry. She is the founder of a Melbourne based nanny agency Est. 1999. Annie has a particular interest in keeping the industry simple, easy, safe and family/nanny friendly. She believes that the intimate nature of the working relationship between a nanny and the family is something that must be considered whilst this industry becomes more regulated. She feels that the end users don’t need a complicated model full of too many rules, she adopts the keep it simple philosophy! Knowing that nannying comes from the heart and shouldn’t be tied up with too much red tape.

Daria Jelcic

Business, Family and Supporter Membership Officer

Bio to come soon.

Scarlett Rose

NSW Media Representative

Bio to come.

Sarah Steel

Newsletter and VIC Nanny Rep

has been working with children for eighteen years, in childcare and kindergarten. Sarah has been working as a nanny for the last eight years. She has now set up her own nanny business and now employs other nannies and helps families. Sarah is also invested in child welfare, having become a foster carer.

Emma

Social Media

Bio to come.

Jackie Rylance

Convention Co-ordinator

Bio to come.

Suzanne Cook

Nanny Rep Co-ordinator and WA Nanny Rep

has been working with children since 2000 training to work in LDC. She has been a nanny for 12 of the past 17 years working both in Perth and Europe. I have my diploma in childrens services and am passionate about nannies getting the recognition we deserve.

Joey Lauren

QLD Nanny Rep

has been working as a nanny for six years, in Victoria, before moving to Brisbane in 2015. She started out in childcare eight years ago, completing her Diploma in Childrens Services. Joey has a broad range of experience with birth to teen aged children, multiples and various disabilities. As well as nannying, Joey has a face painting business. Joey is excited to be apart of the ANA committee to help support and unite both the nanny community and families through out Queensland.

Jackie Sangels

QLD Nanny Rep

Bio to come

Alice Vandersteen

VIC Nanny Rep

is a passionate and dedicated Nanny based in Melbourne. With an impressive career that spans close to 25 years she is highly regarded in the Nanny community. Alice is passionate about being an advocate for the nanny community and is excited to be the Victorian Nanny Representative.

Victoria

VIC Nanny Rep

has been a nanny for almost 10 years. For the majority of her carer she has specialized in working with families and children whom have disabilities. She is passionate about early intervention. In her spear time she helps with a community dance school in Melbourne as well as being a proud member of the support team for Usher kids Australia. As she completes her Bachelor of Education, Early Childhood, she hopes that as a member of the ANA team she can work with nannies to create a stronger Australian wide nanny community.

Deborah Wood

NSW Nanny Rep

Bio to come.

Susan Gollan

NSW Nanny Rep

Bio to come

Mandy Sutton

SA Nanny Rep.

Bio to come

Kat

WA Nanny Rep

Bio to come

Sam Ligertwood

NSW Nanny Rep

considers herself a career nanny. Starting off in Early Childhood, she has worked with all ages managing different rooms and managed to work her way up into team management positions. Sam holds a certificate 4 in children’s studies and worked within the Childcare setting for 6years before moving onto In Home Care roles working alongside DOCs and Mental Health in providing family support and mothers help for various families. For the past 10 years she has been working as a Family PA for various profile and HNW families and has taken on more family management positions where Children are still a factor. Sam is passionate about changing the mindset within the nannying sector, where nannying as a profession is still a stigma. She is also passionate about mentoring other nannies as well as making the industry a more cohesive and social environment for anyone wishing to pursue the profession.