Cara Nolan

Principal, Early Years

Cara Nolan joined BSL’s Research, Policy and Advocacy portfolio in August as Principal, Early Years. In this role, she informs BSL’s practice and policy development with strategies that support children and families in overcoming the impacts of poverty.

Cara first joined BSL in 2023 working as Senior Advisor then as Executive Officer in the Office of the Executive Director. In these roles, she worked on the development of BSL’s Strategy 2030 and on a range of BSL’s contributions to policy reform in early years, the employment services system, poverty measurement and the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee.

Cara is a social policy and strategy professional with a career that has traversed government, management consulting, academic research and international development. Prior to joining BSL, she worked in the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet’s strategic foresight and transformation team. Cara studied a Masters degree at the University of California Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy with a focus on social policy, community-driven development, co-design and data science. She also holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Queensland.