Collier County moms fight to keep Naples summer camp for children with disabilities

NAPLES, Fla. —

Parents in Collier County say they are fighting to keep a summer camp program for teens and young adults with disabilities after the City of Naples announced plans to end it.

The program at River Park currently serves campers ages 5 to 22. But starting this summer, the city plans to limit the camp to children ages 5 to 13.

Jennifer Coppens, whose daughter Ashleigh has cerebral palsy, said families were told a few years ago that some children needed more care than staff could provide.

“So, a few years ago, they told us that our kids were too disabled for the disability camp. So, there was approximately five of us that were pointed out saying that they needed one-to-one caregivers and that we would be putting, you know, the counselors at rest of the city at risk,” Coppens said.

Hiring one-on-one caregivers independently could cost around $10,000 per child for the summer, a price families say they cannot afford.

Instead of giving up, parents say they worked with the STARability Foundation and the Naples Children & Education Foundation to provide caregivers so their children could continue attending camp.

“That was really helpful, so that we didn't have to all figure that out as families. So, that system, you know, it worked,” said parent Katie Betz.

But in early February, families received a letter from the City of Naples saying the camp program for ages 14 to 22 would end starting this summer.

Parents say the timing has left them scrambling to find alternatives.

“You can't put a wrench in a system a few months before we have to plan an exorbitant amount of time ahead for child care,” said parent LJ Goes.

In a statement, the City of Naples said it reviewed its camp programs over the last several years and found the most consistently used age group was children ages 5 to 13.

City leaders say the camp for ages 14 to 22 had limited participation and was projected to serve about eight campers this year. Families were first notified in 2025 that the city was considering moving away from serving the older age group.

The city also pointed to other programs in the community, including Collier County’s Adaptive Inclusive Recreation (AIR) program and the STARability Foundation.

But parents say those options do not work for every family.

Some parents say their children need such a high level of care that STARability cannot accommodate them. Others say the county’s AIR program can take up to a year to review and approve new participants.

For parents like Pam Allen, the uncertainty is difficult.

“I'm a single mom. I work, you know, what am I going to do all summer? I can't afford to hire somebody one-on-one,” Allen said.

Parents say they hope the city will reconsider the decision and keep the program in place.

They say the camp has been one of the few places in Naples where teens and young adults with disabilities can spend their summers together.

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