The Reinhart Foundation Grant Provides Vital Therapy Hours for Children at The Florida Center

The $7,500 gift funds more than 60 hours of speech and occupational therapy for local children

(September 9, 2025) The Florida Center for Early Childhood has received a $7,500 grant from The Reinhart Foundation to expand speech and occupational therapy for children with developmental delays. The funding helps more local kids get the steady support they need to keep moving forward and reach important milestones.

 “Early intervention isn’t a luxury—it’s a lifeline,” says Nickolas Reinhart, president of The Reinhart Foundation. “And right now, too many children are losing access to it. When therapy disappears, so does hard-won progress. Without consistent support, the strides these children have made are at risk of slipping away, and with them, the futures they deserve. The Florida Center is a trusted place for children to receive this therapy, combining expertise, compassion, and proven approaches that give families hope and lasting results.”

Based in Sarasota, The Reinhart Foundation focuses its giving on strengthening communities, especially by supporting children with health challenges and ensuring they don’t lose access to therapies that prepare them to succeed in school and in life.

At The Florida Center’s nationally accredited Starfish Academy, teachers and therapists work together in classrooms where children with delays and disabilities learn side by side with their typically developing peers. This inclusive approach builds skills in language, literacy, motor development, and social growth, while also encouraging empathy and leadership. Beyond Starfish, The Florida Center reaches into the community with school-based programs and a range of therapy services, so children can receive early help in the places where they live and learn.

“Therapy works best when it starts early and stays consistent,” says Dr. Kristie Skoglund, CEO of The Florida Center. “We’re so grateful to The Reinhart Foundation for helping us keep kids on track and giving them the chance to build strong foundations for the future.”

Photo captions:

• At The Florida Center’s nationally accredited Starfish Academy, children learn side by side in inclusive classrooms that bring teachers and therapists together to support early development.
• Speech and occupational therapy sessions at The Florida Center combine play and learning, helping children build critical motor, language, and social skills.

About The Reinhart Foundation

At The Reinhart Foundation, we believe that every heart matters. Our mission is to enrich the communities in which we reside, work, and engage—with a special focus on supporting children with clinical illnesses. By partnering with local nonprofits, we strive to create nurturing and resilient environments where families and kids feel supported and empowered to thrive.

Founded with deep personal commitment, the Foundation champions causes that reflect compassion, integrity, and long-term impact. We focus our efforts in Sarasota, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; Las Vegas, Nevada; Georgetown, Texas; and Findlay, Ohio—working hand-in-hand with community partners to build stronger, kinder, and brighter futures for generations to come. Learn more at Reinhart.org.

About The Florida Center for Early Childhood

For more than 45 years, The Florida Center for Early Childhood has been the leading provider of therapeutic services, early education, and healthy development for young children in southwest Florida, offering a seamless delivery of services for the whole child and their family. Today, the agency is nationally recognized for its early childhood expertise in various specialties. The Florida Center provides developmental therapies, mental health counseling, Starfish Academy preschool, the Healthy Families home-visiting program, and the state’s only Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Clinic, with locations in Sarasota, Orlando and Pensacola.