VAL Skinner might have lost count of the number of children she has cared for in Logan Village over the years, but she can still remember all of their faces.
"I love working with children and seeing them grow up, that was always the best part," she said.
"Just the other day I had one of the girls come back to see me.
"She is 20 now, but she heard I was leaving and she brought me flowers and chocolates, it was very special."
Ms Skinner, or Miss Val as she is known to the children, will finish work at the Logan Village Goodstart Early Learning Centre on Friday.
She has worked at the childcare centre for 22 years.
"I started work here just after my husband and I emigrated from the UK," she said.
"We actually built the house that is right behind the childcare centre.
"I had worked as a nanny before and so one day I jumped the fence and spoke to the man that worked here, saying if he needed any staff, I was keen.
"He gave me the job that day. That was 1993 and I've been here ever since."
Ms Skinner said she had loved watching the centre change and grow over the years.
She is one of just two staff left who were part of the original childcare centre on North Street.
"Originally it was the Humpty Dumpty Centre, then it was an ABC and now Goodstart," she said.
"I remember we used to always run out of tank water, it was great when we finally got connected to town water."
Ms Skinner said she and her husband Paul would soon be embarking on a new adventure, with plans to retire to Hope Island.
She said her family had strong connections to the local area, with her children Hannah and Ryan formerly attending Hills College and Logan Village State School and her husband Paul having once worked as a police officer in Jimboomba.
"It is sad to leave but the timing feels right," she said.
"Everyone has been sad to hear we are leaving, it's been very touching and I want to thank everyone for their kind words."
Staff at the Goodstart Early Learning Centre will hold a morning tea for Val in coming weeks, inviting along many of her past students.
