Fun Time Early Childhood Academy

What Fun Time Early Childhood Academy does

Fun Time Early Childhood Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1961 and headquartered in Naples, Florida. The organization provides early childhood education and care for children from birth to age 5, with a primary focus on children from low-income working families in Collier County. It operates four physical learning centers (Downtown, Estates, Golden Gate, and Santa Barbara) plus the Teenage Parenting Program (TAPP) embedded at Golden Gate High School, collectively serving up to 248 children. The organization is accredited by the National Accreditation Commission for Early Learning Leaders and was recognized with a Platinum Candid Seal in 2026, a four-star Charity Navigator rating, and a 2025 GreatNonprofits Top Rated designation.

The academy's core educational stack combines the Early Literacy and Learning Model (ELLM) — an evidence-based curriculum for three- to five-year-olds reinforced by one-on-one volunteer tutoring — with Conscious Discipline, a social-emotional learning methodology focused on emotional literacy and empathetic guidance. Age-segmented programs (Infants, One-Year-Olds, Two-Year-Olds, Three-Year-Olds, and VPK for 4- and 5-year-olds) are delivered across the locations. The TAPP extension serves teenage parents enrolled at Golden Gate High School, supporting them in completing their education while their children receive care.

Its business model is hybrid nonprofit: tuition is collected on a sliding scale averaging roughly $60 per week per family against an actual education cost exceeding $300 per week, with the gap funded through foundation grants (Collier Community Foundation, Suncoast Credit Union Foundation, Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation, Naples Children & Education Foundation), individual and corporate donations, annual fundraising events (including a 2025 event raising over $800,000), and a Legacy Society planned-giving program. The organization is led by Executive Director Jessica Campbell and Director of Development & Communications Kellie Pedersen, supported by a committed board of directors and a volunteer program that reinforces ELLM literacy sessions.

Name

Fun Time Early Childhood Academy

Legal name

Fun Time Early Childhood Academy

Website

https://funtimeacademy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Fun Time Early Childhood Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1961 that delivers affordable early childhood education and care to children from birth to age 5 in low-income working families across four Collier County, Florida locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Child Care Services (6244)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers (EDACABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Academic/School-Readiness Preschools (EDACABAB), Parenting Skills & Child Development Education (EDACALAA)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Preschool programs
• Prekindergarten services
• Infant childcare
• Sliding-scale tuition

Headquarters

HQ city

Naples

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Parent Tuition Payments: Sliding-scale tuition payments from families based on financial need. Families contribute $60 per week on average toward the $300+ weekly cost of education.
2. Individual and Corporate Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, families, and corporations to bridge the gap between family contributions and actual cost of education.
3. Foundation Grants: Grant funding from foundations such as Collier Community Foundation ($30,000), Suncoast Credit Union Foundation ($10,000), and Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation.
4. Fundraising Events: Annual fundraising events including Blooming Futures celebration and other community events. 2025 event raised over $800,000.
5. Planned Giving/Legacy Society: Planned giving through bequests, life insurance, charitable trusts, and retirement plan beneficiary designations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Fun Time Early Childhood Academy provides affordable, high-quality early childhood education and care for children from birth through age 5, operating age-tiered programs (Infants, One Year Olds, Two Year Olds, Three Year Olds, and VPK for 4-5 year olds) across four locations in Collier County, Florida. Tuition is offered on a sliding scale based on family financial need, with the gap between actual cost and family contribution covered by donations and grants. The organization also runs the Teenage Parenting Program (TAPP) at Golden Gate High School, supporting teenage parents to complete their education while their children receive care.

Product overview

Fun Time Early Childhood Academy operates as a single unified early childhood education center offering age-based programs from infants through VPK (ages 4-5). The organization provides a cohesive educational approach combining Conscious Discipline social-emotional methodology with the Early Literacy and Learning Model (ELLM) for preschool-aged children. Additional offerings include the Teenage Parenting Program (TAPP) for teenage parents and tuition assistance based on financial need. The academy serves children from birth to age 5 across multiple locations in Collier County, Florida.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Infants Program Early childhood education and care program for infants, providing safe, quality, and affordable learning for children from birth onward in Collier County, Florida.
• One Year Olds Program Early learning program designed for one-year-old children, supporting developmental milestones and school readiness.
• Two Year Olds Program Early childhood education program for two-year-olds focusing on social, emotional, and cognitive development.
• Three Year Olds Program Early learning program for three-year-old children preparing them for kindergarten success, incorporating the ELLM curriculum for literacy development.
• VPK (Voluntary Prekindergarten) for 4 and 5 Year Olds Voluntary Prekindergarten program for children ages 4 and 5, preparing them for kindergarten with high-quality early learning education and care.
• Teenage Parenting Program (TAPP) Program at Golden Gate High School supporting teenage parents in completing their secondary education while providing their children with exceptional early education and care.
• Enrollment and Tuition Assistance Financial assistance based on family need, bridging the gap between parent sliding-scale payments (averaging $60/week) and actual cost of education and care (over $300/week).

Quantifiable outcome

• Children prepared for kindergarten success, ready to read and ready to learn
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Early Learning Coalition of SWFLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner supporting early learning initiatives in Southwest Florida
• Future Ready ColliercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity initiative partner focused on early education readiness
• United WaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner supporting families in Collier County
• Quarles and BradyminorOthersLaw firm providing pro bono or reduced-cost legal services
• National Accreditation Commission Early Learning LeaderscoreOthersAccreditation body for early learning programs
• Christ Child Society of NaplesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner supporting children's programs
• Books for Collier KidsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit providing books to children in Collier County
• United Arts CollierminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts organization partner supporting creative education
• BelieveNBooksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner supporting literacy
• Jingled ElvesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner providing holiday assistance to families
• Florida School ReadinesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState program partner supporting school readiness for children

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• KinderCare Learning Companies: Largest private for-profit U.S. provider of early childhood education and care across hundreds of centers. Comparable curriculum-driven preschool and VPK offerings, though at market-rate tuition rather than sliding-scale.
• Primrose Schools: National franchise system of accredited private preschools offering a proprietary Balanced Learning curriculum for infants through VPK age. Comparable age-based curriculum structure and school-readiness focus.
• Childcare Network: Regional for-profit operator of childcare and preschool centers in the Southeastern U.S., including Florida. Comparable full-day infant–VPK programming across multiple locations.
• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Publicly listed operator of employer-sponsored early childhood centers and back-up care. Comparable core product (infant through pre-K programming, ELLM-adjacent curricula), broader corporate-channel focus.

Regional players

• Children's Home Society of Florida: Statewide nonprofit providing child welfare, early childhood, and family support services across Florida. Comparable early childhood programming for at-risk families but at significantly larger geographic scale.

Direct peers

• Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida: School-readiness funder and administrator for Collier County, administering Florida's VPK program. Comparable as the ecosystem gatekeeper for subsidized early learning slots Fun Time relies on.
• YMCA of South Collier County: Operates early learning and before/after-school programs in Collier County with a similar mission to serve families across income levels and a comparable sliding-fee structure. Directly comparable as a community-based, multi-site early childhood provider in the same geography.
• Boys & Girls Club of Collier County: Collier County nonprofit providing youth development, including early childhood and after-school programming for underserved families. Comparable mission, geography, and donor base overlap.
• Head Start/Early Head Start Programs (Collier County): Federally funded early childhood programs for income-eligible families, operating in Collier County alongside Fun Time. Direct competitor for the same low-income working-family segment and aligned with VPK-readiness outcomes.
• Grace Place for Children and Families: Naples-based nonprofit providing early childhood education, literacy, and family support programs for low-income families in Collier County. Direct peer on mission (underserved families), geography, and educational programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/funtimenaples
• Facebookfacebook.com/funtimenaples
• Instagraminstagram.com/funtimenaples
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fun-time-early-childhood-academy-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fun Time Early Childhood Academy