What is the Embrace International Foundation?

Paul and Bev Carrick, formerly of CAUSE Canada, founded the Embrace International Foundation (Embrace) in 2017. Embrace is an Alberta-based organization that champions the rights of disabled children. The focus of Embrace is to support worthy charities within the Global South that provide services to children suffering from autism, Down-syndrome, cerebral palsy and severe learning & language challenges. Furthermore, Embrace works with Canadian school boards to build sensory therapy rooms in public schools in both Alberta and British Columbia. These specially equipped calming rooms enable a child with self-regulating challenges to escape from the hustle & bustle of a busy school to a relaxing environment where he or she can regain their composure. These rooms, known as Snoezelen Therapy Rooms are particularly helpful for children with Autism.

Internationally, however, Embrace International Foundation has neither field offices nor expatriate staff. What it does is provide financial and technical support to Southern charities that have a proven track record in serving the aforementioned groups. Invariably, this means that Embrace supports single mothers struggling against the almost impossible challenge of raising a special needs child in a country where there is little government support. Unfortunately, these mothers often have to endure societal prejudice(s) that neither understand nor respect the rights to which special needs people are entitled.

Embrace currently partners with the Kyaninga Child Development Center and CIPICADI in Guatemala.