Children’s scholarship fund in jeopardy
Child Care of Southwest Florida, Inc.’s mission to improve the lives of children in our surrounding communities is being threatened due to a lack of much needed funding, officials said Thursday.
CCSWFL operates quality child care centers in Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee Counties. Partnering with families and businesses along with the assistance of city and county funding they provide affordable quality child care to children and families in need. However, funding has been chopped. The budget crunch has created a crushing blow to their sustainability causing 32 children to be at risk of losing their enrollment with this nonprofit organization. If the parents do not have child care they cannot maintain their jobs, officials said.
The city of Fort Myers, along with the Foundation for Quality Child Care and United Way, has contributed enough money to keep these children in childcare only until May 1. Now they need local support and partnership to continue this program and keep these families from being unemployed.
Child Care of Southwest Florida provides 50 percent of the child’s tuition while the families pay the remaining 50 percent. CCSWFL has been providing quality childcare and educational services to children, families and childcare professionals in Southwest Florida for over 40 years.
To donate to this cause and learn more about Child Care of Southwest Florida, visit www.ccswfl.org or call 239-278-1002.