Collier County to get new after-school facility

NAPLES, Fla. — Parents often express the need for more child care options in Southwest Florida in online community pages. One popular center for after-school care is opening a second location.

Workers here at the Sports Club of Naples like Jeffrey Rogers and Kayla Richardson say it's crucial to give children something positive to do after school.

"We offer homework, sports, it's a good mix for everything," Richardson said.

A new public school is set for Ave Maria, near Immokalee in 2026. This area is not as busy as the rest of Collier County.

To go along with the school, and the county's efforts to bring more to the location, The Sports Club of Naples is launching a $10 million capital campaign to bring more after school services to a pocket of Collier County that desperately needs it.

Lane Beatty is the CEO.

"We wanted to service that area because we feel like it’s under-served out there," he said.

While people have struggled to find child care, they're working to address cost as well. Bill Carufe, the COO, says in the last 25 years, hundreds of their students have been offered discounted rates to attend.

"Even if we have people that are struggling with income we try to work to meet their needs," he said.