Transforming Early Learning in Collier County

November 1 marks National Family Literacy Day, an opportunity to recognize the important role families play in a child’s earliest learning experiences—and the power of giving parents the tools and support to help their children succeed.

Here in Collier County, the Naples Children Foundation (NCF) is working to strengthen those early foundations through a transformative three-year initiative. Backed by an $8 million investment made possible by the extraordinary success of the Naples Winter Wine Festival’s 25th Anniversary year, the initiative was developed in response to concerns from families, educators, employers and providers about limited access to quality early learning and the growing need for school readiness support before children enter kindergarten.

LITERACY BEGINS WITH THE WHOLE FAMILY

A key component of this work is NCF’s partnership with Grace Place for Children and Families to expand the Grace Place Family Literacy Model® Bright Beginnings program throughout Collier County. Bright Beginnings is a flexible, part-time early learning and family literacy model that combines structured early education experiences for children with meaningful involvement from their parents.

The model recognizes that preparing a child for kindergarten means supporting the people who guide their development every day. Bright Beginnings cultivates confident, capable and literate parents prepared to guide their children through the crucial years of early development and successfully prepare them to transition to formal school at the level of their peers.

Beginning in August 2026, the expansion is adding multiple sites across Collier County with the capacity to serve 190 additional students, helping more families access early education and kindergarten readiness support.

STRENGTHENING EARLY LEARNING ACROSS COLLIER COUNTY

But NCF’s strategy extends beyond expanding a single program. The Early Learning Initiative is designed to address gaps throughout the early learning system by increasing access, strengthening kindergarten readiness, enhancing literacy instruction, integrating behavioral health supports and helping families navigate the transition into kindergarten. NCF is also investing in professional development, career pathways and workforce strategies to help providers recruit and retain highly qualified early childhood educators.

The initiative will also bring NCF, Grace Place and Collier County Public Schools together to launch a new accredited early learning program at Naples Park Elementary School in January 2027. The program is expected to serve an additional 92 students while expanding access to high-quality early education, including scholarship support for low-income families.

National Family Literacy Day is a reminder that a child’s path to becoming a lifelong learner begins long before the first day of kindergarten. By studying where needs exist, bringing the right partners together and investing in solutions that support both children and the adults who guide them, NCF is working to build a stronger early learning system—and stronger futures for Collier County’s children.

Read the full press release here.