Today in Australia, the preference for and growth of kinship care has meant that the majority of children in out-of-home care are now placed in...
Lynne McPherson
Chair, Out-of-Home Care Research
Professor Lynne McPherson is the Chair of Out-of-Home Care Research, an inaugural role jointly held between the Centre for Excellence in Therapeutic Care and the Centre for Children and Young People, Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University.
Awarded the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence for Impact in Research and Community in 2022, Lynne brings extensive experience and a deep understanding of out-of-home care research. Her work aims to build new knowledge and drive cultural transformation in the out-of-home care sector through high-quality, co-designed research approaches that recognise children’s rights and promote their voice and agency. Lynne’s extensive networks enable her to influence policy and practice, making her uniquely qualified to address pressing issues in the sector.
In her role, Lynne focuses on generating research outcomes that inform the efforts of the Australian Childhood Foundation’s Centre for Excellence in Therapeutic Care, providing carers, organisations, and policymakers with actionable strategies based on evidence-informed resources. She also plays a pivotal role in collating and translating national and international research for the Australian context, ensuring that research in out-of-home care is directly relevant and impactful.
Lynne lives on Bundjalung country.
Articles written by
Lynne McPherson
At this week’s National Kinship, Permanent and Foster Care conference held in Melbourne, the experiences of pleasure and pain faced by kinship carers were clearly evident. Amidst...
Phase 1: Policy Analysis This document presents an overview of the findings from Phase 1 of the Strengthening Relationships and Connections in Therapeutic Residential Care project....
The Centre for Excellence in Therapeutic Care (CETC) is engaged in ongoing research to understand how positive, trusting relationships and social connections can be fostered...
Foster carers are a crucial human resource in responding to children and young people who have experienced abuse, neglect, and trauma. The design and implementation...
The significance of sibling relationships for children and young people in out-of-home care is well documented by national and international scholars (Luu, Conley Wright, &...
Kinship care placements in Australia are now more prevalent than foster care. They are the fastest growing form of out-of-home care in this country (AIHW,...
What is this research about? Young people in residential care face major challenges that can prevent them from forming healthy relationships and a strong personal...
This research briefing aims to define and clarify what trauma, complex trauma and trauma informed care are. Extensive literature has now surmised that exposure to...
It is generally accepted that child welfare professionals are at high risk of experiencing vicarious trauma: the manifestation of traumatic symptoms resulting from working with...
As far back as 2002 in the creation of the Catalyst Program, Mitchell developed what was Australia’s first therapeutic foster care program and one of...
Many young people in out-of-home care are at an elevated risk of self-harm and suicidality. The reasons range from early exposure to abuse, disconnection from...
Indigenous children and young people face unique challenges in the child welfare system. The dimensions of this problem are complex and multifaceted. Providing culturally safe...
The literature on how young people participate in decision-making in residential care identifies three main aspects of participation: being able to access information to take...
The research is clear: young people do not fare well when they leave care. Study after study, both in Australia and internationally, tells us that...
There is a nexus between living in Out of Home Care (OOHC) and being involved with the criminal justice system. In NSW children and young...
In 2016, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Australia noted that Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) was a significant issue of...
Young people who are in, or have been in out-of-home care, particularly those with experience of living in residential care, are vulnerable to a number...
This research briefing provides an overview of the current literature reporting on young people who engage in harmful sexual behaviours. Workers at the front line...
Young people who are same sex attracted, trans or gender diverse – a population who will be referred to in this document as LGBTIQ (lesbian,...
The move to independent living is challenging for any young person, requiring the exercise of many new skills and navigation of a range of social...
The NSW Government has undertaken major reforms over the past two years aimed at improving outcomes for children and young people in out-of-home care. Following...
This research briefing is an introduction to therapeutic care as a preferred response for children and young people who have experienced complex trauma and are...