The Florida Center for Early Childhood, Inc.

The Florida Center for Early Childhood is a nationally accredited 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to strengthening families and expanding the potential of young children across Southwest Florida and beyond. For more than 40 years, the organization has provided high-quality early education, mental health services, and family support programs to children from infancy through elementary age and their caregivers. Recognized nationally as experts in early childhood, The Florida Center advances best practices through innovation, research-informed care, and professional training. Guided by its mission to build strong families and help children thrive, the organization works to ensure every child is loved, nurtured, and given the opportunity to reach their full potential.

The Florida Center delivers a comprehensive continuum of services, including its nationally accredited Starfish Academy preschool; developmental and therapeutic services; the Healthy Families home-visiting program; the Family Support Team; school-based mental health services; the Early Childhood Court Program; Florida’s only specialized Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Clinic; and a robust Training Department that equips professionals and organizations with expertise in early childhood development and trauma-informed care. Through early intervention, evidence-based programming, and strong community partnerships, The Florida Center creates lasting, positive outcomes for children and families throughout the region and beyond.