Dr Caroline Croser-Barlow

Dr Caroline Croser-Barlow is CEO of the Front Project, a philanthropically-funded social enterprise working to redress disadvantage through improving our early childhood system. She was a member of Minister Butler’s Thriving Kids Advisory Group, and sits on advisory groups for a range of state governments on their early childhood reform agendas. She is a former senior public servant with experience across a range of areas, including early childhood education, disability in education, corporate services, climate change, energy, environment, and social policy. Her most recent public service role involved supporting Royal Commissioner the Hon Julia Gillard in her work on early childhood education and care. 
 
She holds a PhD in Politics and International Relations and an MA, both from Lancaster University; a Graduate Certificate in Applied Economics from the University of Adelaide; and a Bachelor of Arts from the ANU. Caroline is co-host of The Westminster Tradition, a top-ranking podcast unpacking lessons for the public service, starting with the Robodebt Royal Commission. 

Cathy Olsson 

After a 40 plus year career working as a speech pathologist in organisations providing services for people with disabilities and their families, Cathy has now happily retired, but keeping her hand in, and her mind active, volunteering as the State Coordinator for Key Word Sign South Australia and presenting Key Word Sign workshops.

Cathy learned about the workings of the NDIS as the Senior Advisor Disability for Speech Pathology Australia between 2014 and 2021 and was also a NDIS Provider in a sole trader private practice between 2015 and early 2022. She has always had a focus on understanding and promoting communicative participation – supporting people with communication disabilities to successfully send and receive messages with a range of communication partners.

Lauren Haskins

Lauren Haskins is a speech pathologist and owner of A Growing Understanding, a paediatric speech pathology private practice with centres in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie in the Hunter region of NSW. She was one of two private practice allied health representatives on the NSW DCJ Foundational Supports Advisory Group, and sits on both the HNECC Primary Health Network Allied Health Steering Committee and the SPA Future Practice Models and NDIS Reference Groups. Lauren is also the founder of Let's Grow Together, a platform providing resources, training and support for paediatric speech pathologists and allied health professionals working with children. She brings direct experience of the Thriving Kids reform process alongside the everyday reality of leading a private practice in a rapidly changing landscape.