University of Tasmania, Australia

Ms Leah Bonfili

Masters Candidate

Contact Details

Masters Topic

'Our obligations to children in out-of-home care: Life Chances or Life Rafts'?

The thesis examines the question: are we providing children living in long-term out of home care placements with care options that ‘maximise [their] opportunity to grow up in a safe and stableenvironment and to reach [their] full potential’ as was the intent of Parliament when it passed theChildren, Young Persons and Their Families Act or are further care options required to achieve that goal?

The thesis takes an evidence-based approach to finding new solutions to the out of home care crisis in Tasmania.After completing a critical analysis of permanent care options in other jurisdictions, and their potential applicability in Tasmania, Leah will betalking to key stakeholders in the child protection arena including children and/or young persons with care experiences, foster carers and child protection professionals and usingthe results of those studies to inform any recommendations for changes to law and policy.

Supervisors

• Professor Margaret Otlowski
• Dr Olivia Rundle
• Honorary Professor George Zdenkowski