Leonie Sheedy

Leonie is the CEO and co-founder of Care Leavers Australasia Network (CLAN).

She is an advocate for the rights of care leavers and people who are victims of institutional abuse who were raised in Victoria’s Orphanages, children’s Homes, Missions and foster care.

Leonie was a member of the Prime Minister’s Advisory Council on Redress and the National Apology Advisory Group. She supported Prime Minister Gillard to establish the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and played a key role in ensuring care leavers were included as a special needs group under the Aged Care Act 1997.

Leonie has given several major presentations including at the UN in Geneva and received a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2007.