Lauren Bernard

Christ follower, wife, mom of four, advocate for foster care and adoption, designer, artistic, coffee lover, thankful.
Likes: Decorating, exercising, coffee, traveling and spending time with her friends and family.
Dislikes: Disorganization, carbonation, whining and avocados.

Lauren was born and raised in Salem, Oregon. She graduated from Corban University with a degree in education. Lauren married her high-school sweetheart, Jason, and they have been married for 12 years.

Before starting their family, Lauren worked in the Salem-Keizer School District as a teacher for Title I students.

Lauren and Jason always knew they wanted to adopt, and in 2013 they became certified to adopt/foster through DHS.  It was all God’s timing for sure, as they waited for an adoptive placement. In 2017, while Lauren was 30-weeks pregnant with their third child, they received a call from their caseworker. They brought home from the hospital a baby girl, and their foster to adoption journey began. They fostered for over two years, and in the spring of 2019 their family officially became a family of six, when they adopted their daughter. Their boys are amazing big brothers, and the girls are the best of friends, and only 9-weeks apart in age. What a blessing each of her kids is.

Since becoming a foster parent, Lauren’s passion for her local foster care system, both the kids in care, and the families caring for them, has only grown. After their family walked through the foster and adoptive process, she understands some of the challenges foster/adoptive parents experience.

She recalls in the past saying, “I could never be a foster parent...” How thankful she is that God changed that perspective, and forever changed their lives for the better. While she realizes not everyone can be a foster parent right now, she looks forward to sharing the mission of Salem Angels with her community. She looks forward to wrapping community, support and love around those who choose to foster, and the children in care. What an amazing mission that is.