Nicole Lessard is a Consultant specializing in community assessments, grant writing, and early education and care, including Head Start Preschool and Early Head Start services. Since joining Foundations for Families in 2021, she has completed community assessment reports, annual updates, and data collection efforts for 24 agencies across 15 states. She has also provided customized technical assistance to additional partners, offering grant application support and writing, and data support and guidance for future initiatives.

Nicole brings 20 years of experience in the early education sector. Prior to joining Foundations for Families, she held statewide policy analysis and program development roles, including oversight of statewide grant initiatives and multi‑stakeholder workgroups. She also served as Project Manager and contributed grant writing and implementation support for multiple federal grants under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Nicole’s approach to supporting clients reflects Foundations for Families’ commitment to highly customized and collaborative services. Her approach to data collection and reporting is intentionally designed based on each client’s individual needs and mission, and ensures the identification of the specific data needed; findings highlight agency strengths and opportunities for growth to support their long-term vision.

Nicole holds an M.Ed. in School Counseling from the University of Massachusetts, Boston and a B.S in Communication Disorders from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Nicole resides in Massachusetts. You can often find her traveling, playing pickleball, reading, and coaching youth sports.