Diletta Lanciana – Executive Manager, Children’s Services
Driven by her passion to help support and empower individuals to be the best they can be, Diletta Lanciana spent the earlier part of her career as a social worker in various roles supporting community health, aged care and young mums in the Yarra Valley.
Diletta then turned her focus to early childhood, gaining extensive experience in leadership roles at Kids on Collins and Little Flyers. Diletta is a strong advocate for the importance of the early years in children’s development and believes that all children should have equal opportunities for learning. She feels privileged to be part of Cire, ‘an innovative and inspiring organisation, committed to providing flexible learning environments for the community across all ages and abilities’.
“It is hugely rewarding to be part of Cire and see children and individuals develop lifelong skills.”
Melissa Saaghy Walsh – Director, Cire Children’s Centre Chirnside Park and Cire Children’s Services Compliance
Drawing on a diverse career spanning more than 20 years in the children’s services sector, Melissa Saaghy-Walsh is the Director of Compliance at Cire Children’s Services.
Melissa’s core responsibility is to oversee and ensure compliance throughout Cire’s OSHC, occasional care and long day care services.
Her previous roles have included working her way up from untrained assistant to leadership positions, and human resources officer and area manager for ABC Learning Centres.
What Melissa finds most rewarding is seeing ‘our local children grow and develop from babies in our nursery room to wonderful, productive members of the community’. Just recently one of those ‘babies’ was a very competent relief teacher for her daughter’s physical education class at primary school!
“I love seeing our local children grow and develop from babies in our nursery room to wonderful, productive members of the community.”
Jessica Grant, Director – Cire Children’s Centre Yarra Junction
Assisting children to have the best start possible in life is what drives Jessica Grant at every level in her work.
This passion underpins her commitment to providing quality and relevant educational programs that equip children with the skills that will help them successfully navigate their world and succeed in whatever they are willing to work towards.
With a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (Honours), Jessica has worked in the sector for about 16 years honing a depth of experience in a broad range of settings including Long Day Care, Occasional Care and Out of Schools Hours Care.
Jessica views early childhood education through a broad community lens. She values highly working collaboratively with the local community, supporting local projects and initiatives and providing a respectful and inclusive place where young people can grow, learn and play.
“I love watching children develop and learn new skills and accomplishments whilst building connections with each other”.
Madeleine Lowrie – Director, Cire Children’s Services Mount Evelyn
As Director of Children’s Services Mount Evelyn, Madeleine Lowrie contributes a breadth and depth of expertise in the early childhood sector, leadership and management, and advocacy and inclusiveness.
These are further enriched by her life experiences as a mother of four children, as well as her professional journey which has been influenced partly by her time at Cire when it was known as Upper Yarra Community House.
Madeleine has worked in early childhood for 15 years, supporting the development and learning of all children and supporting families. Her roles have included room assistant and leader, assistant director, kindergarten educator, and director. In addition she was the Innovative Solutions, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Facilitator with the Victorian Inclusion Agency.
Her work as a peer researcher for the First 1000 days project, focusing on the health and wellbeing of children and parents from conception to two years old, further strengthened her passion for children’s development and learning, and supporting parents and children to have healthy goals and aspirations for their future.
“I want to create a safe, inclusive learning environment for all children and an understanding and acknowledgement of all the diverse cultures and histories of the extended Cire community. I am passionate about sharing my family’s Aboriginal culture and being an advocate for a stronger understanding and shared history.”
Amanda Quilty – Director, Outside School Hours Care (OSHC)
With a career spanning more than 26 years in the early childhood sector, Amanda Quilty has gained much experience across a broad range of age groups and as a co-ordinator of outside of school hours care (OSHC). Amanda is passionate about her role as Director of the Children’s Centre at Mt Evelyn and recently completed her Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood. She finds it extremely rewarding to see the growth and development of all the individual children that she has helped educate.
“Working for Cire allows me to give back to the community in which I live and work.”
