The Curran Family Foundation Grant Supports Developmental Therapy Services at The Florida Center

The $12,000 award helps ensure children with developmental delays receive consistent speech and occupational therapy.

(April 30, 2026) A $12,000 grant from the Curran Family Foundation will help children with developmental delays continue receiving critical therapy services at The Florida Center for Early Childhood. The support benefits the organization’s Developmental Therapy Services program, which provides individualized speech-language and occupational therapy for young children who need help building communication, motor, sensory and daily living skills. While insurance and Medicaid cover a portion of these services, reimbursement rates often fall short of the true cost of providing high-quality, licensed therapy.

Dr. Kristie Skoglund, CEO of The Florida Center, explains that the grant will help cover therapy costs for children whose families would otherwise struggle to afford the additional expenses, allowing them to complete their prescribed course of care without interruption.

“Many families do everything right. They secure insurance, attend appointments and commit to treatment plans, yet gaps in reimbursement can still make it difficult to sustain the level of therapy their child needs,” says Dr. Skoglund. “Support from the Curran Family Foundation helps ensure that children can continue receiving the consistent care that allows them to build critical skills during a vital stage of development.”

“The Florida Center is in full alignment with the foundation’s mission to positively impact the lives of children and young adults. We are excited to support the great work the center is doing for the children in our community” says Michael G. Curran, founder of the Curran Family Foundation.

“After hearing their story and touring the Sarasota campus, we were compelled to support The Florida Center,” added Travis Williams, executive director of the Curran Family Foundation. “Seeing the life-changing work they are accomplishing for the children in our community was extraordinary.”

Developmental therapy plays a vital role in helping young children build the foundational skills needed for learning and independence. Speech-language therapy strengthens communication and language development, while occupational therapy helps children improve motor skills, sensory regulation and everyday functioning.

Photo captions:

• A Florida Center for Early Childhood student celebrates a joyful milestone moment with Melissa Cox, an occupational therapist with The Florida Center. Support from the Curran Family Foundation helps ensure children with developmental delays can continue receiving critical therapy services.
• Michael G. Curran, founder of the Curran Family Foundation, and Travis Williams, executive director of the Curran Foundation, visited The Florida Center for Early Childhood’s Sarasota campus to learn more about the organization’s developmental therapy services and community impact.
• Michael G. Curran, founder of the Curran Family Foundation; Dr. Kristie Skoglund, chief executive officer of The Florida Center for Early Childhood; Kim A. Williams, vice president of Early Education and Developmental Therapy Services at The Florida Center; and Travis Williams, executive director of the Curran Family Foundation, gathered during a recent visit to The Florida Center’s Sarasota campus.

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.