Pat Streitberger has been a Samaritans Family Day Care Educator for 20 years in the Hunter region and received a Family Day Care Association Long Service Medal last Friday.

Samaritans Family Day Care has been running in the region for 30 years and Pat is the longest-serving educator.

She said that she has always loved children and worked with them for 17 years before becoming an educator with the Samaritans.  

 “We are so proud to be able to present this Family Day Care Association Long Service Medal to Pat for her commitment to Samaritans and to her local community for so many years,” Samaritans service manager, Sam Kulupach said. 

Pat plans to retire at the end of 2014 and is hoping to take a holiday and continue to look after her grandchildren.

 “I’ve looked after children for 35 years and when Family Day Care came along it was perfect,” she said.  

“I’ve been happy with Samaritans, it’s been like a family and I’ll miss the children very much.”

Pat’s daughter Melissa, also a Samaritans volunteer said she is following in her mother’s footsteps. 

“Mum’s been an inspiration to me and she has been completely dedicated to the families that she has had in care,” she said. 

“We always had children around the house and I always wanted to be an Educator growing up as it is perfect for people who have small children of their own.”

Pat was also recognised alongside five other Hunter-based educators at a recent Samaritans long service awards dinner.