Centre for Children and Young People

Centre Announcement:

Centre Director, Professor Anne Graham, AO has been appointed as Distinguished Professor, Southern Cross University.

The announcement was made by University Vice Chancellor, Professor Tyrone Carlin.

“The title of Distinguished Professor is reserved for the recognition of genuinely outstanding leadership and service to our University over the span of many years. It is the highest academic honour within our University and as such, is conferred only in very exceptional circumstances.

In announcing Anne’s appointment, I reflected on her focus on doing and leading the highest quality work that has real impact, her leadership through mentorship and in particular on her humility as a person and her deep dedication to our University and to our region.

Anne is a role model for all of us both as regards what she has accomplished and how she has adopted a very purpose and values led approach to her work and community engagement.

We are deeply fortunate to have her as our colleague and I hope you will join with me in congratulating her on her appointment.”

Centre Announcement:

Lynne McPherson: Chair, Out of Home Care Research

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Lynne McPherson as Chair, Out of Home Care Research, based in the Centre for Children and Young People, Faculty of Health.

The establishment of this Chair, a co-funded 3-year Professorial Appointment, offers an unprecedented opportunity to focus on knowledge mobilisation in Out of Home Care in Australia.

The Chair is a collaborative initiative between the Australian Childhood Foundation and Faculty of Health at Southern Cross University. It will build on an established, successful research partnership that has demonstrated the development and timely application of new knowledge aimed at improving outcomes for some of Australia’s most vulnerable children.

CEO of the Australian Childhood Foundation, Dr Joe Tucci said that “a key driver for the establishment of the Chair role is to elevate the status of out of home care in Australia through strengthening the evidence base supporting it.”

Executive Dean, Faculty of Health Southern Cross University, Professor Julie Jomeen points out that, “For those who know Lynne, her passion for this research area is clear.  She brings to the role a deep understanding, at a range of levels, the issues facing children in Out of Home Care.  She is one of few people in academia who can bring that breadth and depth of experience to the research in this area. Lynne will also bring freshness and flexibility to the role and is eager to really address the issues facing policy and practice”.

Lynne said that she was honoured and humbled to be the first person to take up this newly created and innovative role in the area of out of home care. “This is a very important opportunity to allow the voices of the children and young people we all serve to be seen and heard”, she added.

Director of the Centre for Children and Young People, Professor Anne Graham, underlines the significance of the partnership forged between academia and industry by Southern Cross University and the Australian Childhood Foundation. “This Chair appointment provides an outstanding platform for the creation and mobilisation of knowledge to promote the best possible care of some of the most marginalised children in Australia today”.

Research impact

We work hard to develop and sustain collaborative partnerships with government and community agencies to deliver research and program evaluation that has high relevance and impact.

Impact and engagement are critically important aspects of our work. Our research is focused on generating knowledge that can inform policy and practice likely to improve children and young people’s lives. 

Our research is widely disseminated. We do this through high quality academic publications but also through colourful 'plain-English' research summaries, 'good-practice' guidelines, websites, education programs, professional learning workshops, conferences and various digital forms. Explore Our Research and Resources to see examples for each of our projects.