Marilyn McHugh gained a BSW (first class honours) from Sydney University and a PhD from UNSW. She has conducted numerous research studies, with foster and kinship carers, for state and national government departments and for non-government agencies.

Her most recent projects include:

1.  Projected Downstream Savings to Government: Foster Care Integrated Model (2013) for Berry Street, Victoria;
2. (with A. Pell) Foster Care Integrated Funding Model (2013); for Berry Street, Victoria
3. An Exploratory Study of Stability in Foster & Kinship Care in NSW (2013) SPRC, UNSW; and, 
4. (with Brennan, D., Cass, B., Flaxman, S., Hill, T., Jenkins, B., Purcal, C. & valentine, k.) Grandparents raising grandchildren: Towards recognition, respect and reward (2013) SPRC, UNSW.

Marilyn is the Patron of the Australian Foster and Kinship Carer Partnership and is a member of Reference/Working Groups related to projects on OOHC and budget standards research. She has been a keynote speaker and presenter at numerous national and international Conferences/Forums.