In the National Office: Belinda Denison
Let's find out who's who ...
A conversation with Belinda
Belinda Denison has been a Site Advisor for seven years and currently supports 16 sites across Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. Before joining HIPPY, she spent almost 25 years supporting children and families across the early education and care sector, working in Long day care, family day care, preschools, supported playgroups, nannying and occasional care (phew!) as well as three years at the BSL Community Services Hubs.
Throughout her career, one constant has remained: a passion rooted in helping parents and children thrive. "I am especially inspired by creating opportunities for parents to have the support, resources and sense of safety they need to love, nurture, and educate their children with confidence and freedom," she says.
Her core values are health, authenticity and integrity. They form the guardrails for both her personal and work life. She strives to build strong, meaningful connections and create spaces where people feel seen, understood and valued. Colleagues and site teams consistently describe her as bringing calm, considered, professional energy to every room she walks into.
To know Belinda is to know someone who listens first. "It has to feel right for me to share my story," she says, "I am happy to listen and learn from others otherwise."
When a space to share is created, what shines through is considered, generous, and quietly profound.
What’s your role at HIPPY, and what does your day-to-day work involve?
At its heart, Belinda’s role is about holding space for Site Coordinators and Line Managers to think clearly about their sites, their communities and themselves.
"My role involves meeting regularly with Site Coordinators and Line Managers to listen, coach, guide, resource and support them across all aspects of HIPPY operations," she says. "Our conversations provide an opportunity to work through strategies and challenges, celebrate successes, and explore the unique experiences that arise when working alongside Tutors, families and children within diverse communities."
This year has brought particular highlights: Pre-Service Tutor Training, Quality Site Visits, and involvement in the Change Makers program.
Connecting with people, seeing the strength within communities and having opportunities to learn alongside others have been real highlights of my year
Beyond her formal role, Belinda is particularly skilled at guiding people through change. "Even positive change can bring a sense of loss or uncertainty," she says. Her approach helps people identify and articulate what they’re feeling.
I often ask, 'What are you most frightened of? What feels hardest about this change?' When we can name our fears, they become easier to understand and manage. Fear often begins to shrink the moment it has a name
Belinda applies the same principle to herself, recognising when it’s time to pause and replenish.
If I’m not looking after my own wellbeing, I can’t bring my best to others
By prioritising rest and recovery, she ensures she can return with renewed focus and energy.
With HIPPY's four outcome areas. Which one speaks to you the most, and why?
For Belinda, it’s Outcome Area Two (Family), and the answer is personal as much as professional.
"The family is our first place of learning, belonging and connection," she says.
"Parents and caregivers have an incredible influence on how children come to understand themselves and the world around them. This is why I am passionate about helping parents recognise their own strengths and build confidence in the important role they play in their child’s learning."
I love that this outcome is not simply about supporting children to learn, but about empowering families to grow, learn and thrive together
Beyond the top five questions
(Remarkable parts of the interview worth mentioning)
On comfort zones
"Your comfort zone is a very expensive place to live in. If you live there, you don’t grow." She thinks the mainstream world is wired toward comfort. "It’s killing people," she says matter-of-factly. "Not dramatically. Just slowly."
A story about the bird and the maze
One afternoon, Belinda sat with her daughter doing a puzzle. There was a bird at one end of a maze and a birdhouse at the other. Rather than navigating the maze, her daughter drew a straight line from bird to birdhouse. "But Mummy, the bird can fly."
She just reminded me who I am, and who we all are, and the mindset we often get trapped in. We get so caught up in the maze, when sometimes the answer is: the bird can fly
