The following is a tribute by Family Daycare Queensland to Cathy Bavage acknowledging Cathy’s tireless work in the field of family daycare in Wynnum and across Queensland and Australia.
She was also one of the original supporters of the WynnumCentral project which included the launching of this site.
There is also a tribute to her below from Andrew Paterson, CEO of Family Daycare Australia.
Vale Cathy Bavage
Early childhood education is the key to the betterment of society
Maria Montessori
Family Day Care Queensland is deeply saddened to acknowledge the passing of Cathy Bavage on Sunday, 21 September 2025. Cathy was not only one of Queensland’s most respected leaders in family day care, but also a cherished mentor, colleague, and friend to so many across our sector.
Cathy’s remarkable 38-year journey with Wynnum Family Day Care began in 1988, after her early career in child protection sparked her passion for creating safe, nurturing environments where children could thrive. Under her leadership, Wynnum FDC grew to become a model of excellence. In 2013, it was the first service in Australia to receive ACECQA’s Excellent Rating, and in the years that followed, it was recognised nationally as a benchmark for quality and innovation.
Cathy was an innovator and an advocate, never shying away from the big conversations. She played a pivotal role in elevating the role of carer to “Educator,” shaping professional identity in family day care. She was also a long-serving Director on the Board of Family Day Care Australia, where her wisdom and experience contributed significantly to national policy, practice, and governance — always with a focus on the needs of children, families, and educators in Queensland, to the benefit of children and educators Australia-wide.
As FDCQ’s very first Life Member, Cathy embodied the values of leadership, advocacy, and community connection that continue to guide our work today. Her influence extended far beyond her own service—mentoring new leaders, guiding services through complex change, and championing evidence-informed approaches that put children’s wellbeing first.
Cathy leaves behind a lasting legacy. Her dedication, passion, and belief in the power of family day care have shaped generations of educators, strengthened families, and improved the lives of countless children.
On behalf of the Queensland family day care community, we extend our deepest condolences to Cathy’s family and loved ones. We will miss her presence dearly, but her impact will be felt for years to come.
You can read the original tribute from Family Daycare Queensland here.
The following is a tribute to Cathy from Andrew Paterson, CEO
of Family Day Care Australia…
With the passing of Cathy Bavage early on the morning of Sunday 21 September 2025, our sector lost one of its pioneers; a true leader and advocate, and to many including me, a colleague, mentor, and friend.
I first met Cathy back in late 2010. On the advice of many, a visit to meet Cathy Bavage and her Wynnum team was the logical first stop in my induction (or indoctrination) to family day care.
Those who knew and loved Cathy can probably picture that first meeting, it’s one I will never forget – a little abrupt, challenging but inquisitive, and delivered with a classic tongue in cheek raise of the eyebrows and a generosity of spirit to share her knowledge and her wisdom, which she had in spades.
From that day forward, through my fifteen years and numerous roles with FDCA, including as CEO, Cathy was always a trusted confidante, even though, for much of that time, she referred to me as ‘kiddo’. Not many weeks went by without a call from Cathy with questions, ideas, suggestions, or just to say hi.
Cathy had a long and illustrious career in family day care. For close to four decades, she led the team at Wynnum Family Day Care, and in doing so, left a lasting legacy for children, families, her community, her team, and the sector.
Wynnum was the first, and one of only a handful of family day care services to achieve ACECQA’s Excellent Rating and was the inaugural winner of ‘Service of the Year’ in the FDCA Excellence in Family Day Care Awards.
Throughout her time at Wynnum, Cathy was a mentor to countless service colleagues that leaned on her insights in navigating the ever-changing and often challenging sector landscape.
Cathy prided herself on her data driven management of the ‘business’ of family day care, but she never lost sight of her passion and motivation; a safe place for children, quality early education for a better future, and strong relationships, all of which she saw at the core of family day care.
Cathy was proudly innovative, often collaborating with stakeholders including academics, governments and agencies, peaks, and colleagues on projects and initiatives that explored distributed leadership, organisational change, business viability, quality, and technology.
She was, among others, also a driver in the establishment of FDCA, and ultimately, after some persuasion, a Board Director where she provided invaluable insights across practice, policy, governance, and strategy.
My most sincere condolences to Cathy’s family and friends. She will be deeply missed by us all.
