Sharice J. Zachary, MSW
In honor of Women’s History Month, we celebrate the achievements of Sharice Zachary, an extraordinary social worker making history in the state of North Carolina. With experience working with children and families involved in the child welfare system, she currently she holds the position as the Interdisciplinary Parent Representation Program Manager with the North Carolina Office of the Parent Defender. In this role, she is responsible for the programmatic flow and oversight of the IPR Program, which is the first of its kind in North Carolina to incorporate social workers on the legal team. This holistic approach to parent representation aims to keep parents impacted by the child welfare system engaged in the process and improve reunification outcomes for children and families in North Carolina.
With a large portion of her work social work profession being in child protection services and foster care, Sharice has made reunifying children with their families of origin once it is safe to do so, the primary focus of the work she does. Sharice is dedicated to multidisciplinary collaboration with partner agencies and supportive services that provide a family centered approach to clients and empower them with strategies that incorporate community driven solutions to system created problems.
Her specific advocacy interest is assisting incarcerated parents with maintaining their parental rights, parenting abilities, and reunification efforts, case specific service agreements, and highlighting parental strengths and natural supports at all times throughout the case.
Sharice is a two-time graduate of Fayetteville State University, where she earned a Master of Social Work degree and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. As a former foster youth, Sharice has firsthand knowledge of the child welfare system and the importance of parent engagement throughout the reunification process. The “Oliva Pope of Social Work”, a moniker she and a classmate gave themselves during their MSW program, serves as a constant reminder to advocate fiercely for those who are most vulnerable, to remain solution focused, and to have an “it’s handled” type of spirit to some of life’s the most difficult circumstances.