Laura McFarland

Laura is a Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at Charles Sturt University in the School of Education. Prior to commencing in an academic role, she worked as an early childhood educator for ten years. She has also held roles in family support at a community health service, and as a consultant for Early Childhood Australia (ECA). At ECA, Laura supported early childhood educators to implement the Be You initiative, which is the national initiative to support mental health in schools and early learning services.

Laura is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) and was awarded an Australian Government Office of Learning and Teaching citation for sustained excellence in scholarship in early childhood education that enhances student learning by connecting research, families and communities. Laura is a member of the editorial board for the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood (AJEC).

The overarching theme of Laura's research is supporting the mental health and well being of children, families and educators in the early childhood education context. Laura's research focuses on supporting quality relationships amongst children families and educators, in order to provide the best outcomes for children. Laura's research recognises the importance of a whole of service approach to supporting mental health and well being and she is particularly interested in the role of leadership in creating mentally healthy early learning communities. Laura's research has also explored the role of nature and nature pedagogy in supporting children's well-being. She has recently co-authored a chapter in the first international handbook of children and nature. 

Laura is a member of the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) and Early Childhood Australia (ECA)