Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida Inc

What Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida Inc does

The Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida, Inc. (ELC of SWFL) is a Florida private nonprofit corporation designated as one of 30 statewide Early Learning Coalitions under the School Readiness Act of 1999 and the VPK program established in 2005. Headquartered in Fort Myers with a regional office in Naples, the Coalition administers state and federally funded early childhood programs across four Southwest Florida counties: Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee. Its mission centers on enhancing school readiness for children from birth through age 5 by administering enrollment and subsidized child care placements, conducting child care resource and referral (CCR&R), and delivering professional development for early childhood educators.

The Coalition's core offerings are the School Readiness Program (income-based sliding-scale subsidies for child care), Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK — free for all Florida 4-year-olds), Child Care Resource & Referral, Live-Scan Fingerprinting for Level II background screenings, and a Professional Development Training portfolio (MarcoPolo, CPR & First Aid, CLASS). Technology is delivered primarily through state-managed Family and Provider Portals at floridaearlylearning.com, supplemented by the Coalition's marketing website and Live-Scan registration system; the organization does not maintain proprietary AI, API, or mobile app capabilities. Programs are largely free to families, with revenue derived from state allocations (Florida Office of Early Learning), federal pass-through funds, and modest fee income from background screenings and training classes.

Customer segments are dual-headed: families with young children (primary, free services) and licensed child care providers (SMB contracts, training, and reimbursement administration), with Florida's Division of Early Learning serving as the regulatory principal. The board comprises Governor Appointees, county commissioner designees, and private-sector representatives from across the four-county region. The Coalition is governance-led rather than equity-backed, with no private, venture, or parent-company ownership, and operates as a quasi-public administrator of government-mandated programs.

Name

Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida Inc

Legal name

Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida, Inc.

Website

https://elcofswfl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida is a Florida nonprofit administering state and federally funded early childhood programs — School Readiness, Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK), Child Care Resource & Referral, background screening, and educator training — for families and child care providers across Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee Counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Subsidy & Funding Compliance (CCDF/child care assistance program requirements) (EDACAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Academic/School-Readiness Preschools (EDACABAB), Training & Credential Compliance Tracking (PD registry alignment) (EDACAKAH), Early Childhood Learning Standards Authorities (EDADAEAF), Health, Safety & Compliance Training (CPR/First Aid, Safeguarding, Licensing) (EDACAIAH)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• School readiness programs
• Voluntary prekindergarten services
• Child care resource referral
• Early learning coalition

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Myers

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. State Funding (Florida Office of Early Learning): Primary funding source from Florida state government for administering School Readiness and VPK programs. Funds are allocated based on enrollment and program performance metrics.
2. Federal Funding: Federal funds distributed through state channels to support early childhood education programs including School Readiness initiatives

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida administers Florida's state-funded School Readiness Program and Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program for children birth through age 5 across Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee Counties. It also delivers free Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) services, Level II background screening via Live-Scan fingerprinting, and professional development training for early childhood educators. Services are funded primarily by state and federal government appropriations channeled through the Florida Office of Early Learning.

Product overview

The Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida Inc is a non-profit organization that administers early childhood education programs across Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee Counties. Rather than a unified software platform, it offers a portfolio of government-funded service programs including the School Readiness Program (helping families access quality child care), Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) providing free pre-K education for qualifying children, and Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) services offering free child care information to families. Additional services include Live-Scan Fingerprinting for background screenings required for childcare providers, and Professional Development Training for Pre-K teachers. These programs are funded by state and federal funds and delivered through partnerships with private childcare providers, family child care homes, and public/private school-based sites. The organization also provides access to external state-managed Family and Provider Portals for enrollment and program management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• School Readiness Program State-funded program that subsidizes child care for income-eligible families with children from birth through age 5, using a sliding-scale fee based on family income and size. Administered under Florida's School Readiness Act to promote kindergarten readiness.
• Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Free prekindergarten education program for all Florida children who turn 4 years old on or before September 1 of the school year. Delivered via participating private child care providers, family child care homes, and public/private school-based sites to enhance language, cognitive, and pre-reading skills.
• Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) Free community service providing information and referral services to all families seeking child care in Southwest Florida. Customizes listings by family needs and offers a free marketing profile tool for legally operating child care providers in Florida.
• Live-Scan Fingerprinting Registration Electronic Level II Background Screening registration service required for child care licensing and regulation of programs serving children and vulnerable adults, as mandated by Chapter 435 of the Florida Statutes.
• Professional Development Training for Pre-K Teachers Training sessions and professional development opportunities for early childhood educators, including MarcoPolo training, CPR & First Aid certification classes ($50 for two classes, $25 for one class), and CLASS training workshops.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Division of Early Learning (DEL)coreOthersState-level oversight organization responsible for enhancing school readiness. DEL provides final approval and conducts annual reviews of coalitions and plans. Ensures effective use of federal, state, local, and private resources to maximize school readiness.
• CareerSource Southwest FloridacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between business, labor, education, community, and government services overseeing workforce development initiatives in Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee Counties. Provides diverse leadership for workforce demands.
• Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports charitable programs improving physical, emotional, and educational well-being of underprivileged and at-risk children in Collier County through strategic investments and community partnerships.
• Lee County Board of County CommissionersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive elected commissioners providing legislative and governing body for Lee County, committed to effective leadership and policy-making supporting resident and community needs.
• Collier County Board of County CommissionersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive elected representatives responsible for establishing policies safeguarding health, safety, and well-being of residents and visitors in Collier County.
• FutureMakers CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity initiative shown in partner logos, working on workforce development and educational initiatives in Southwest Florida.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Florida Office of Early Learning: State-level agency that funds, oversees, and conducts annual reviews of all 30 coalitions including ELC of SWFL; sets policy, distributes state and federal funds, and effectively determines coalition operating scope.

Direct peers

• Early Learning Coalition of Broward County: Florida coalition administering the same state-mandated School Readiness and VPK programs in Broward County under the same regulatory regime, with overlapping provider and family services portfolio.
• Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County: Florida coalition running the same state-mandated early-learning administration model in Pinellas County, providing a directly comparable benchmark for staffing, throughput, and provider engagement.
• Early Learning Coalition of the Big Bend: Florida ELC serving a multi-county Big Bend region under the same state framework, providing a directly comparable rural/semi-rural analog to SW Florida's coalition operating model.
• Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County: Another of Florida's 30 designated regional Early Learning Coalitions administering School Readiness and VPK programs under the same state statutory framework, serving a single multi-county territory with comparable programs and funding model.
• Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County: Direct peer administering identical School Readiness, VPK, and CCR&R programs under Florida's coalition system in the Tampa Bay region, with comparable staffing scale and family/provider portal infrastructure.
• Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe: Florida ELC administering the same suite of School Readiness, VPK, CCR&R, and professional development programs in the Miami-Dade/Monroe region under the identical statutory model.

Regional players

• Children's Services Council of Southwest Florida: Independent taxing district funding children's services in the same four-county SW Florida region; adjacent rather than competing, but shares the same family and provider ecosystem and sometimes co-funds initiatives.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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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 Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida Inc