By Christie MannTuesday 31 Jan 2017NewsReading Time: 1 minute

Kay McGrath from 7 News awarded OAM

She’s been a familiar face behind the 7 News desk for many years, and now Kay McGrath has been recognised for her work behind the scenes. She was awarded a medal in the Order of Australia in Attorney-General Sir Peter Cosgrove’s Australia Day honours for 2017 for her work in child protection.

 Kay first became involved in child protection in 1984, and has most recently become an ambassador for Act For Kids, chair of Queensland Child Protection Week and patron for the Daniel Morcombe Foundation.

In an interview with ABC, Kay said “I am thrilled and humbled, but while I have been front-of-house in this area of child protection, I am accepting it on behalf of all the people who are on the frontline”.

“If I have managed over the last 35 years to help just one Queensland child, I will be very happy with that.”

96five’s Pete Hill chatted to Kay about what the honour means to her.