S harita takes care of a lot of infants. She shares with fondness, how one infant came in needing physical therapy. “We continually worked on ‘tummy time,’ strengthening, holding up the head, and reaching. We witnessed a tremendous change. Now he’s rolling over, lifting his head, starting to babble and starting to talk, and has made a wonderful recovery.” She talks about the structure that many children lack, when their parents suffer from addiction, explaining the vicious cycle—perhaps the parents also came from a home with no structure. “We can give the care and the love they may not have received. Maybe the moms had that same trouble when they were growing up. At Mary Hall Freedom Village, we can say, ‘It's okay, you’re here now.’”
CHILDCARE Sharita shares, “I know what it’s like. My mom had an addiction.” She is hands-on, helping with the nurturing, and the love, that perhaps they might not have received from their mother. “I can relate to their children because I was once that child. And I once had that mother.” She adds with joy, “My mom’s been clean for twenty- eight years, and she is now a counselor.” Sharita oversees parenting meetings, provides childcare, monitors RISE activities, helps to reunify children with their parents, completes intakes, does home visits, and makes sure mothers of newborns get diapers, bottles, and anything else they need. “I assist and listen to the moms when they need a listening ear or advice, and I help them with outside services like finding a pediatrician.” So, with all that work, just how hands-on is Sharita with the kids? She laughs and says, “Well, it’s supposed to be twenty hours, but most of the time, it’s
S harita Smith
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