Dr. Smita Dharmamer leads  systems-led initiatives for children at Aangan Trust, focusing on building and strengthening child protection systems across multiple stakeholder groups. Her work centers on developing the capability of key stakeholders - families, communities, government agencies, civil society organizations, and citizens - to design contextually relevant child safety solutions.

As a founding member in India's prison nursery movement working on children of incarcerated parents, she has worked with government and civil society partners to establish institutional frameworks that address the needs of children with incarcerated parents. Dr. Smita serves on the board of the International Coalition for Children of Incarcerated Parents (INCCIP) and participates in the Global Prison Nursery Network, contributing to policy development and implementation frameworks across jurisdictions. She is also affiliated with Children of Prisoners Europe (COPE).

She transitioned from homeopathic practice to child protection systems work in 2005, completing postgraduate training in counseling before joining Aangan Trust in 2006. Her experience spans multiple states and diverse community contexts within India's child protection landscape.

Recognition for her systems work includes the 2024 Presidential Bronze Volunteer Service Award through AmeriCorps Connecting 4 Justice International and the 2016 Rex Karmaveer Global Fellowship. She participated in the Global Change Leaders Program at Coady International Institute, Canada (2017).

Her current focus involves strengthening institutional responses to child protection concerns and building sustainable systems that can identify and respond to children requiring protection interventions.