Mónica Ruiz-Casares

Monica Ruiz-Casares, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry < http://www.mcgill.ca/tcpsych/> and a member of the Center for Research on Children and Families < http://www.mcgill.ca/crcf/>, both at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Her main areas of expertise cover: the wellbeing and protection of orphan, separated, and unsupervised children across cultures; children's rights and participation; and social policy and program evaluation. She is committed to research and evaluation that affects programs and policies to protect vulnerable children early, strengthen the capacity and efficiency of social services, and involve children in decision-making and action. She has traveled extensively and collaborated with both academic and community partners on child- and family-related studies. Her current research and publications explore the determinants and consequences of inadequate child supervision in Canada and cross-nationally, and undocumented migrant children's rights and access to services. She is also interested in the social integration of orphan and separated children in contexts of crisis. Her research privileges the voices of children and youth, and is inspired by action research principles.

She holds a Law degree from Universidad Pontificia Comillas (Madrid, Spain), a M.A. in International Development from the Elliot School of International Affairs, George Washington University, and a M.Sc. in Program Planning and Evaluation and Ph.D. in Policy Analysis and Management from the College of Human Ecology, Cornell University.