The happiness, wellbeing, development and education of your child is always our highest priority.
We’ve worked hard to become an employer of choice in the child care industry. We offer a highly-regarded professional development program and above-award remuneration. We’re proud to say that we attract and retain some of the best educators in the industry. Through strong bonds with familiar and consistent carers, each child has the opportunity to thrive.
The Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics (2006) sets the professional standards that guide our work and educational programs.
Each of our centres is owned and operated by a franchisee, who is qualified and extensively experienced in the child care industry. This unique business model ensures that the operation of each centre is guided by a professional who is committed to providing the highest quality of early childhood education and care. Many of our franchisees have worked with Mother Duck for many years and have helped shape the values of the company.
Our Mother Duck leadership team is passionate and involved, working at a Mother Duck centre every single day.
Denis and Roslyn Hinton bought the Enoggera Mother Duck business back in 1990, when it was just the one centre operating in a rickety church hall. Together, they worked tirelessly and with great care to establish and grow Mother Duck into a leading childcare provider across Greater Brisbane, always resting on their strong family values, strong business acumen, and a “can-do” attitude to guide them. Denis is the Chairman of Mother Duck, and is still actively involved in governance, finance, and strategy. Denis has always cared greatly for the people who work at Mother Duck and the children under our care, and is a highly respected head of the Mother Duck family.
Karen is a dedicated and passionate early childhood teacher with over 25 years of experience at Mother Duck Childcare. Throughout her journey, she has taken on various roles at Mother Duck, from Kindergarten Teacher to owner/operator of the Manly Centre, to CEO, and now as a part-owner in the group.
As a single mother, Karen truly understands the challenges that working families face and brings that empathy into her work every day. Her enthusiasm for children’s learning and development is boundless. She is currently undertaking her MBA through UQ, further strengthening her leadership skills, and deepening her impact on the Early Childhood sector. Karen is passionate about developing and inspiring educators through strong leadership, knowing that empowered educators create the best outcomes for children’s learning and development.
After 15 years working in the commercial industry as a general manager and CEO, Ben stepped into the childcare sector as CEO of Mother Duck in January 2024. Ben comes from a family whose careers as educators go back generations. His wife is a teacher and as a father of four school-aged children he understands first-hand the importance of high-quality early childhood education and the positive effects this has on the child and their family.
Ben’s previous leadership roles have spanned education & training organisations, marketing & communication, and more recently nationwide franchise businesses. He leads with a people-centric approach, focussing first and foremost on achieving positive outcomes for employees and families and is extremely proud to lead Mother Duck through the next stages of its history.
Katy has been a part of the Mother Duck Family for over 30 years, commencing in 1991 as an assistant educator straight from high school and progressing over the years to a Lead Educator, Nominated Supervisor, Franchisee and finally apart of the Management Team. You could say she has literally grown up with Mother Duck! Katy holds an Advanced Diploma of Community Services (Children’s Services) and has many years of experience overseeing the operations of several services.
Her role as Business Support Manager is focused on working alongside the leadership teams in each service, sharing best practice and maintaining the highest possible standards across each Mother Duck centre. Katy has two amazing daughters of her own and has been blessed with her first grandson, and she is passionate and committed to making families and children feel safe and secure, with a reputation for building trusting relationships with everyone she encounters.
With 30 years in early education, Karina Windolf is dedicated to fostering environments where children are seen as competent, capable learners. She is passionate about evolving educational practices to meet the changing needs of children, families, and communities. Karina’s expertise spans management, training, operations, and curriculum. She values collaboration and co-constructing spaces that nurture children’s curiosity, creativity, and meaningful contributions. Committed to reflective practice, she mentors educators at Mother Duck, encouraging critical thinking, adaptability, and continuous learning to achieve the best outcomes for children.
A strong advocate for global citizenship, Karina believes in fostering empathy, resilience, and positive change. Her leadership supports children, educators, and families in embracing new perspectives and enriching learning experiences. Outside of work, Karina is a proud mother, grandmother, and pet owner. She enjoys beach outings and dining with friends, cherishing moments of connection and relaxation.
Sarah brings over 10 years of experience in the Early Childhood sector. Starting her career as an Early Childhood Teacher and Nominated Supervisor, Sarah later transitioned into her current role as a Business Support Advisor. Her connection to Mother Duck is personal and deep—Sarah’s children attended her local service, and years later, she returned as a student before taking on a role as an Early Childhood Teacher.
In her current position, Sarah combines her professional foundation as a teacher with her personal experience as a parent, offering a unique perspective to support our services in delivering high-quality care. As a mum of four, Sarah understands the vital role that childcare services play in building strong partnerships with families. She is committed to ensuring that these partnerships thrive and that every child receives the best possible care and attention.
Heidi holds close to 20 years professional experience as an early childhood educator, Director, Educational Leader and Approved Provider as well as experience in executive level leadership. The Mother Duck Community has been part of Heidi’s life for most of her professional career and her long-term connections with Mother Duck have continued to shape Heidi as a professional and as a person.
Heidi’s long term professional interest, and additional studies of ‘all things neuroscience’, mental health and wellbeing, and leadership has only been enriched by her lived experience parenting her own three neurodivergent children. Heidi’s ‘heartbeat’ is to journey with educators and leaders across Mother Duck to better understand their own unique strengths and brain-body needs to amplify professional performance and ultimately support best outcomes for children.
Scott has over 30 years trade experience, as well as project management experience with his time as Facility and Grounds Director for a large sporting club. He has worked with Mother Duck for the past six years providing property maintenance services; however, this is not his only connection to the organisation, as he began his early years attending Mother Duck Enoggera and his grandchildren attend the Eatons Hill service. This early experience at Mother Duck fostered a sense of belonging and community which has left a lasting impression on him.
Scott enjoys his time each day within the centres fostering the children’s wonder and curiosity of the environment around them. Scott’s extensive knowledge and experience allows him to collaborate with the services to maintain and improve the facilities ensuring the environment is safe, welcoming, and conducive to the growth and development of children.
All the operational decisions for Mother Duck Childcare Centres are made by the Mother Duck Management Committee. The Committee is made up of 12 seats, with each seat holding the same vote. There are currently 10 Centres, and each Centre holds one seat, the Board Chairman holds one seat, and the CEO holds one seat.
There is no right of veto on any decisions. The seats held by the Centres are held by the Centre Franchisees who work in the centres as Nominated Supervisors, and also all hold early childhood qualifications with substantial industry experience.
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