Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families is proud to announce that Bailey Perkins will soon be joining the organization as a state policy fellow, in partnership with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).

Perkins recently completed her Masters of Public Administration at the University of Oklahoma. She worked as an intern for AACF during the summer of 2013. Her work included research on the Arkansas school facilities program. She met with state officials for interviews, toured school district facilities, and met with district leadership. She also completed a video documenting school facility needs in districts across the state.

“My summer experience as an intern with AACF not only fueled my passion for advocacy and but also confirmed my career interest in budget and policy-related fields,” Perkins says. “I’m elated to receive this opportunity to return to the great state of Arkansas, work with the amazing AACF team, and continue doing important work on behalf of all Arkansans.”

The fellowship is a two-year program in which graduate students apply their classroom knowledge to “real world” budget and policy work in an effort to make a difference for families and communities. Only five such policy fellows were selected this year out of a field of nearly 400 applications. AACF is honored to be working with Perkins once again.

“State Policy Fellows tackle domestic policy challenges in areas like health care, taxes, anti-poverty policy, education and criminal justice. Fellows analyze the impact of state budget and tax policy choices on low-income residents and promote positive reforms,” according to CBPP’s website. “Fellows research and write analyses on current policy issues; brief policymakers, journalists, and others on these issues; and serve as a resource for advocates and community groups.”