Lauren Daniels, MSW, LISW has been a dedicated school social worker in Iowa since August 2025, advocating for the well-being and development of students and their families. She began her career as a school social worker for Des Moines Public Schools from August 2025 to June 2022, primarily serving in public elementary schools while also taking on assignments in middle schools and parochial schools, engaging with students in grades K-5.

From July 2022 to June 2025, Lauren worked with Heartland AEA as an Early Access/Early Childhood School Social Worker, providing essential support to the Ames Community School District. Currently, since July 2025, she is serving as a School Social Worker for Heartland AEA, focusing on Early Childhood and elementary programming in the Urbandale Community School District.

In addition to her extensive experiences in school social work, Lauren has a rich background in clinical and community services. Previous roles include serving as a Clinical Therapist in an Iowa psychiatric medical institution for children, a Contract Therapist with the Department of Defense as a Family Advocacy Social Worker at Munson Army Health Center in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and providing behavioral health services to senior adults in an intermediate care facility as a Behavioral Health Systems Clinical Social Worker. She also held the position of Social Worker II (PRN) in the Senior Behavioral Health Center at St. John Hospital in Leavenworth, Kansas.

A board member of the Iowa School Social Worker Association (ISSWA) since 2022, Lauren has served as the Secretary after being invited by colleagues from Heartland AEA and former Des Moines Public Schools associates.

Outside of work, Lauren enjoys family life with her husband, Josh, with whom they celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary on September 17, 2025. Together, they have two children: Addison, an 18-year-old freshman at Iowa State University, and Adam, a 16-year-old junior at Ankeny Centennial High School. The family shares their home with two beloved dogs, Daisy Mae and Lily Lu. They cherish spending quality time together at the lake, creating lasting memories.