A native of Hampton Roads, Lauren attended Virginia Tech and then graduated from Old Dominion University with her B.A. in English (Professional Writing) and a minor in Political Science. Lauren has been an advocate for vulnerable children and families since 2012 when she and her family began their own foster care journey. Lauren and her husband, Kevin, now have five children after adding two kids to their family through adoption from foster care. After finalizing their first adoption, Lauren saw a huge need for awareness and greater access to resources for foster families in the Hampton Roads region and began building a network to help meet these needs. Lauren created and launched The Entrusted Network to bring trauma resources and community building to the foster and adoptive families in Virginia. In 2022 she joined Virginia’s Kids Belong as the Regional Director for Eastern VA and continued collaborative efforts to connect resources to those that need them.

Lauren’s experience in foster and kinship care and her ability to maintain and grow working relationships in the community make her a compelling leader for Connect With A Wish as it enters its second decade of service.