Christ Child Society Naples now manages nine major programs in Collier County focused on three primary Mission objectives: Infant Care, Basic Needs and Literacy.

Infant Care
LAYETTES: All national chapters of Christ Child Society provide layettes for newborn children in need. As part of the Naples project, members of Christ Child as well as friends and family members and women from area retirement communities create blankets for each layette.

BRINGING BABY HOME: ”Bringing Baby Home” is a book about infant care, given to first-time mothers who are living at or below the poverty level in Collier County. The book is published in Creole, Spanish and English. This program is possible through a partnership with the Christ Child Society of Naples, Collier Health Services, Inc. in Immokalee, and The Women’s Foundation.

Literacy
ELLM READING READINESS: The ELLM program focuses on active learning to improve the early literacy of young children. ELLM-trained Christ Child members work with children in more than 40 Head Start classrooms in Collier County.

FUN TIME EARLY CHILDHOOD ACADEMY: Fun Time Early Childhood Academy provides affordable, quality early care and education for young disadvantaged children of low income families. Christ Child volunteers work, as needed, in many areas, including the ELLM reading program. Annually, Christ Child financially supports the preschool’s education program.

GOLDEN GATE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Christ Child members volunteer many hours tutoring, mentoring, and working in the library. Christ Child is also an active “business partner” with the school, contributing money to purchase various supplies for the children and equipment for the teachers.

Basic Needs
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY: By donating beds and bedding for children’s rooms, Christ Child ensures that no child in a Collier County Habitat home has to sleep on the floor.
MY STUFF BAGS: To ease the trauma of children living in shelters, volunteers provide reusable bags filled with clothing and personal items, as well as a book and a stuffed animal.

RONALD McDONALD CARE MOBILE: Christ Child volunteers help the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile professionals provide health and dental care services to underserved and at-risk children. Volunteers are trained to accompany children from their classrooms to the Care Mobile and to ease their fears. Christ Child also provides funding for books on dental care and nutrition.

KIDS KARE – GRACE PLACE, YOUTH HAVEN, and THE CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY CENTER: Christ Child provides funding and/or volunteers to support these three agencies which focus on services for at-risk and impoverished children in our community.

INFANT GRIEVING GOWNS: Christ Child volunteers assemble small robes to be given to mothers of babies lost at birth or shortly thereafter. The baby is dressed in the gown, a picture is taken, and the gown and the picture are given to the parents as a remembrance.