Marie Connolly is Chair and Head of Social Work at the University of Melbourne. Previously, she was Chief Social Worker in in New Zealand. Her child welfare practice, academic and consulting careers span over 30 years in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. She has held honorary professorships at the University of Auckland and the Skondal Institute in Stockholm. She has published extensively, including Understanding Child and Family Welfare: Statutory responses to children at risk (Palgrave) and Social Work: Contexts and Practice 3rd edition (Oxford University Press).