Lauren W. Reliford, MSW
Director of Public Policy, Children’s Defense Fund
Lauren W. Reliford, MSW is the Director of Public Policy at Children’s Defense Fund. She is former Director of Public Policy at the Children’s Defense Fund. She is a passionate and mission-oriented public health professional focused on bridging the gap between social theory, spirituality, research, and practice and bringing them to the forefront in major policy making decisions. Lauren joins Sojourners with over 10 years of experience in research, policy, advocacy, and government relations. Prior to joining Sojourners, Lauren took her passion for politics and policy and turned it into a profession, focusing on domestic and international public health advocacy for a number of large nonprofit organizations. She also earned her master’s degree in social work and focused primarily on the biological impacts of trauma in high-risk and vulnerable populations.