Dr. Nicole Wilke
Dr. Nicole Wilke
Nicole Wilke is a researcher, missionary, author, and marriage and family therapist. Her work focuses on helping Christians care for vulnerable children and families with excellence. She currently serves as Director of the Center on Applied Research for Vulnerable Children and Families, bridging research and practice to improve care for vulnerable children and families around the globe. An initiative of the Christian Alliance for Orphans, the Center serves more than 260 organizations in 130+ nations around the world, impacting millions of children and families at risk.
Nicole has supported care improvement through both research and practice. Her interest in this work began in her family of origin, which has adopted and fostered many children. Since then, she’s led multiple international studies related to care reform, resilience, and family strengthening, developed the Care Transition Accelerator Academy, and authored dozens of evidence-based resources on improving care for children. She has published peer-reviewed articles covering topics from deinstitutionalization to trauma-informed care to child protection.
Prior to this role, Nicole worked in a variety of settings with children who have experienced complex trauma, including post-adoptive therapy, juvenile detention, therapeutic residential treatment, and foster care, as well as in cross-cultural ministry. She has earned degrees in Psychology, Family Studies, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Permanency and Adoption Competency, and wrote her PhD thesis on connecting research to practice in the care of vulnerable children and families. She has published in research journals including The Lancet , Children & Society, and Child Abuse & Neglect.
Although she has lived on four continents, Nicole currently finds herself living with her family in Peru, where they work to see children raised in healthy families.
