By Melissa Blewitt

Lachlan Children’s Services educators Samantha Smith and Indianna Lemmon have been named finalists in the 2026 Central West Early Childhood Awards in recognition of their dedication to supporting young children and families.
Samantha is a finalist in the Outstanding Early Childhood Educator – Diploma category, while Indianna has been nominated for the Molly Ticehurst Memorial Award for Outstanding Educator – Certificate III in the 2026 Central West Early Childhood Awards.
Both educators were recognised for their hard work, compassion, commitment and dedication following nominations from families whose children attend their services.
Lachlan Children’s Services congratulated the pair on their achievements, acknowledging the important role they play in supporting young children and families.
“This is such a wonderful achievement, and we are incredibly proud to see their hard work, dedication and passion for early childhood education being recognised,” a post on the Lachlan Children’s Services Facebook page read.
The Central West Early Childhood Awards recognise educators, leaders, trainees and services making a positive difference in the lives of children and families throughout the region.
The awards celebrate excellence, innovation, leadership and a commitment to creating safe, inclusive and supportive learning environments that encourage children’s development.
Established in 2023, the awards grew from discussions between Katherine Wilson from Circle Early Learning and Kim Laird from Bowen Early Intervention about the challenges faced by early childhood educators during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With assistance from Katy Matheson, also from Circle Early Learning, the inaugural awards were established to recognise the efforts of educators and help rebuild morale across the sector.
Since then, the awards have continued to grow, providing an opportunity for communities to acknowledge the often-unseen work of early childhood professionals.
The 2026 Central West Early Childhood Awards dinner will be held at Club Forbes on Saturday, 31 October.
Dr Red Ruby Scarlett, who has more than 30 years of national and international experience in early childhood education, will be the evening’s emcee.