What We Do

The Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence supports and empowers caregivers and care providers, advances the knowledge and capacity of the caregiving field, and advocates for effective and visionary social policy, with a disability-informed approach.

Photo of young adult woman with down syndrome hugging an elder female caregiver

How We Do It

We offer programs and supports for caregivers and care providers. We bring together stakeholders, translate knowledge to practice, scale what works and fill gaps through innovation. Our expertise and insight, drawn from the lived experiences of caregivers and care providers, help us campaign for better systems and lasting change. We are more than just a funder; we work closely with our partners and grantees towards shared goals.

What is a caregiver?
Caregivers provide support to people with physical, intellectual, or developmental disabilities, medical conditions, mental illness, or needs related to aging. Caregivers are family, friends and other natural supports (like neighbours or chosen family) who provide care because of a relationship, not as a job or career. The caregiver role is mutually determined by the person and their caregiver(s).

What is a care provider?
Care providers include paid support professionals such as direct support professionals, personal support workers and respite workers.

Our Vision

A Canada leading the way in quality care, where caregiving is valued, caregivers are supported and people accessing care are central to policies and practices.

Our Mission

The Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence supports and empowers family caregivers and care providers, advances the knowledge and capacity of the caregiving field, advocates for effective and visionary social policy, with a disability-informed approach.

Our Values

Excellence

Interdependence

Equity and Inclusion

Building Networks

Codesign

Advocacy

Our Focus Areas

A young black woman caregiver hugs an elderly black woman’s shoulders while looking at her lovingly

Support Networks and Knowledge Sharing

A white woman and man sit at a table looking at a tablet screen together

Education and Leadership Development

Three women wearing name tags engage in a lively conversation while sitting in discussion circle

Advocacy and Policy Development

Teacher working with a racialized teenager with cerebral palsy in a wheelchair

Inclusion and Underserved Communities

A message from Naomi Azrieli

At the Azrieli Foundation, our mission is to make an impact through our strategic, forward-thinking and creative approach to philanthropy. Each day, we strive to connect individuals and communities with the resources they need to flourish.

This core purpose led us to create the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence (CCCE), but the passion for supporting communities through care is also a personal one. Several members of my family have neurodevelopmental conditions, and my sisters Sharon and Danna and I are caregivers ourselves. My own experiences have helped me understand the importance of this field and motivated us at the Foundation to engage in initiatives and partnerships that can enhance quality of life for people of all abilities and ages. CCCE will do just that; joining a growing ecosystem of Centres of Excellence developed by the Azrieli Foundation.

CCCE is aspiring to a world where caregiving is well-supported, disability-informed and inclusive. We want to build a better system for this essential field—one that advances policy and delivers top-quality care, guided by the people and families who are accessing that care.

We had a vision for a better future in caregiving, and now we are opening the doors to make it a reality. By funding innovative projects, nurturing networks and advocating for positive change, we can make a real difference.

I am looking forward to all that the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence will achieve. Watch this space—there are great things to come.