Dr Katherine Bussey, is a passionate infant and toddler specialist and activist originally from New Zealand living in Melbourne. She has spent the last 20 years actively learning about, and developing practice in, early childhood education based on the Pikler® approach and Magda Gerber’s Educaring Approach (RIE®) and is currently working on the final stages of becoming a Pikler Professional. Katherine works at universities and as a consultant where she mentors and provides professional learning and development to educators, engaging in inspiring critical reflection, learning and growth in infant and toddler teams.

Emily McDonald is a parent educator at Being with Baby facilitating Parent & Baby Classes and workshops on infant & toddler care, influenced by Magda Gerber's Educaring® Approach. She has been a passionate Early Childhood Teacher in Perth, WA for 7 years, studied the Reggio Emilia Approach to Education in Italy in2013, completed her RIE® Foundations Course in LA in 2015 with RIE® Associate Patricia Ryan, in 2016 completed her RIE® Practicum under the mentorship of both Patty and RIE® Associate Sharon Smith, and Emily is currently completing her RIE® Internship.

Emily has two young sons and a daughter who inspired her journey into respectful care of infants & toddlers.

Kate Russell is a parent educator at Peaceful Parents, Confident Kids, where she facilitates classes for parents interested in understanding more about raising their children respectfully. A former school teacher, Kate has spent many years researching, adopting and applying Magda Gerber's Educaring Approach in her work and more recently in her role as a mother to her three young children. Completing RIE Foundations - Theory and Observation training in Los Angeles last year provided her the stepping stone to enter into the RIE Associate mentorship program more recently. Her popular blog (Peaceful Parents, Confident Kids) advocates for the respectful treatment of infants and toddlers, encouraging parents to look inwards to help and answers to their parenting difficulties.

Fiona owned, directed and taught in her own centre for ten years and has been in ECEC since 2004. Most recently, Fiona has been the Centre Director for a not for profit organisation where her interest in and understanding of Magda Gerber's Educaring approach and the Pikler approach developed. She is an Early Childhood Teacher, and graduate of the RIE® Foundations Theory and Observation Course. Fiona completed Pikler® Autonomous Play Activity and Respectful Care and the Relationship with the Adult modules. Fiona is passionate about making a difference to the lives of children, families and educators in communities, driven by relationships and respect.

Suzi Holland is a passionate Early Childhood Consultant and committed infant and toddler advocate from Aotearoa New Zealand. Suzi's journey in ECEC started over 15 years ago with a BA/BTeach degree in Early Childhood. Her Master of Education researched the importance of free play for children under three years. Suzi has experience leading centres in NZ and UK, providing professional development and mentoring to students and qualified teachers and facilitating parent education. Suzi is deeply inspired by the peaceful Pikler® and RIE® approaches to infant and toddler care and has attended Pikler® courses in Budapest, Hungary in 2015, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Dee Farquharson has worked in ECEC in Queensland for close to thirty years. A philosophy of respectful care has underpinned her lifelong work and after coming across the Pikler approach this resonated with her. Dee completed some Pikler modules in 2017 in Australia and the US and this training has impacted her work on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia where she works as a service director, intertwining the Pikler approach as a respectful way of building relationships with all children.

Nellie is an early childhood educator with nine years’ experience working with infants and toddlers in long day care settings and as a nanny. In her work with children, Nellie has grown in her understanding of Magda Gerber’s Educaring® Approach and has worked to adapt the Educaring® principles to guide centre practice in an Australian context. Nellie completed her RIE® Practicum™ in 2018 and is currently engaged in her RIE® Internship™ as well as finishing her Bachelor of Teaching through Macquarie University.

Erin is an Early Childhood Teacher in Sydney, Australia. Graduating with a Master of Teaching in 2014, Erin went on to work with infants and toddlers in long day care where she became heavily inspired by the Pikler® approach. She is passionate about working with educators and families to promote respectful and developmentally appropriate practices for young children, focusing on play and relationships as central to all young children’s wellbeing.  

She has completed the Pikler® Autonomous Play Activity and Respectful Care and the Relationship with the Adult modules. Erin has two young children who inspire her to always be learning more, and to advocate for them and all children within her personal and professional life.  

Sara has been working in Early Childhood Education and Care for ten years, and is currently undertaking her Bachelor of Education, Early Years. She has been affecting change, advocating and collaborating with stakeholders across various services with a focus on embedding RIE® and Pikler® inspired principles into pedagogy and practice within Infant and Toddler spaces. Sara is deeply inspired by the Pikler® Approach and Magda Gerber’s Educaring ® Approach, completing the RIE® Foundations Course in 2019.