Dr Lauren Kosta has worked in research for several years, focusing on parenting in circumstances of adversity, previously working at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute with parents of infants and young children with complex health issues.
Lauren’s PhD investigated the experience of parenting following the Black Saturday bushfires. Lauren spoke to parents who were living in an area affected by the fires in 2009, exploring what it has been like to be a parent since, what has been difficult, what has gone well, and what supports were (or were not) helpful. She found mothers and fathers faced complex parenting challenges in the years after these fires, as their efforts were often undermined by trauma, loss, and disruption. Her findings highlight important opportunities to support families after disasters.
Lauren is now an associate lecturer in the Department of Social Work at the University of Melbourne.
Her thesis is available here.
