The Little Red Playhouse

The Little Red Playhouse is a privately funded inclusive early education facility managed by La Fondation Place Coco; a non-profit, federally registered children’s charity. We believe in early intervention and integration and our mission is to teach all children as the individuals that they are, to be the best that they can be. We teach all children empathy, compassion, understanding and acceptance of diversity. Our approach fosters growth and learning for neurodiverse children, including those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD and language delays, in a supportive environment where they can thrive alongside their typically developing peers and prepare for future academic achievements.

Sharon McCarry, Executive Director and Coco’s Mom

Sharon McCarry is a passionate community advocate for families living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neuro-developmental disabilities. She is committed to making meaningful and significant change in policies and services to benefit families in disability communities.

In 2008, she founded La Fondation Place Coco, a Canadian charity that manages and operates the Little Red Playhouse (LRP). LRP is an integrated preschool, where neuro-diverse and neuro-typical young children learn side-by-side in a supportive educational setting.

McCarry is also an active volunteer. She is a member of the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) Advisory Committee on the Disability Tax Credit, which advises the Minister of National Revenue and the CRA on how the Agency can improve the way it administers and interprets tax measures for Canadians with disabilities. She is also a member of the Steering Committee for CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal contributing to their Strategic plan. She has been a proud member of the Advisory Committee for the Strongest Families Neurodevelopment Program with the Child Bright Pan Canadian Research network: Parents Empowering Neurodiverse Kids, which provides evidence-based parent coaching interventions for the last 3 years. Most recently, she was named the Director of Citizen Engagement for the Child Bright Network, a part of the Strategic Patient Oriented Research group, and sits on their Executive Committee and National Steering Committee funded by CIHR and 25 other funding partners.

An accomplished business professional, McCarry has also worked with numerous Fortune 500 companies in marketing strategy and brand management. McCarry holds a BA from McGill University and lives in Montreal, Quebec, where she is a mother to two sons, one with autism.​

For more information, please contact us at (514) 620-9270 or info@lakeshorekiwanis.ca