Hello, my name is Melissa. I'm the mom & grandma to 3 adults & 4 children. I've worked with children & adults with various challenges & abilities. The challenges I'm most familiar with & have either professionally or family related experience with are: failure to thrive, scoliosis, epilepsy, Down syndrome, Asperger's syndrome, ADD/ADHD, bi-polar, disthymia, schitzoaffective disorder, and dementia. I've worked for 3 school districts in the past 25 years. I'm a dog enthusiast with some cat experience as well. I spent several years working with dog rescue groups. I've assisted in saving, socializing, & re-homing over 100 dogs & 3 cats. I have a clean driving record & have been driving for 28 years. I feel comfortable transporting people & pets. I own a van & have plenty of room for 6 people and/or pets. I've run a household in every aspect: shopping, running errands, cooking, sending out laundry, picking up dry cleaning, hiring maintenance staff, delegating responsibilities necessary to keep home running smoothly, paying bills, etc. I enjoy helping others and am on Care.com for that reason. I have 3 adult children (ages 23 - 26), 4 grandchildren (9 months - 6 yrs), and 1 Schnoodle (Schnauzer/Poodle mix.)