• Education Policy Director
• ncarey@aradvocates.org

After working in the child welfare field for close to a decade, Nicole joined AACF as Education Policy Director in November 2024. Her prior experience includes advocating for the best interest of the child through directly representing clients — both on the government agency side and with children and youth in foster care. Nicole’s work experiences confirmed for her that focusing on the child’s best interest requires valuing the family as a whole, and families do best when they have the supports they need to thrive.

Nicole advocated for the educational rights of children in foster care, often emphasizing the rights of students with disabilities, when working at the Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) of the Arkansas Department of Human Services. She trained DCFS staff on how to ensure the educational needs of clients were met and researched relevant federal and state law and policy. Her other DCFS experience included grant and report writing, policy analysis, project management, and executive team support.

Nicole earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and a law degree from the William H. Bowen School of Law at UA Little Rock. She and her husband, Richard, live with their daughter and two rescue pups, Scooter and Peppadew, in Little Rock.