Daycare Cost in Lee County, FL

Childcare in Lee County, FL

Lee County, home to Fort Myers and Cape Coral, has a population of 800,000 on Florida's Gulf Coast. The county's economy is driven by tourism, healthcare (Lee Health system), real estate, and a growing professional services sector. While Lee County has an older median age due to retiree migration, significant family formation in Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres, and Estero sustains childcare demand. Infant care averages around $10,608 per year, moderate by Florida standards. Hurricane Ian's devastating impact in 2022 significantly disrupted the county's childcare infrastructure, with some providers permanently closing and others still rebuilding — a factor that continues to affect availability.

Finding Care

Fort Myers and the South Fort Myers/Estero corridor have the highest density of childcare centers, with a mix of established and newly rebuilt programs following Hurricane Ian. Cape Coral, despite being one of the largest cities in the county, has a notable childcare supply gap relative to its young family population. Lehigh Acres, a sprawling unincorporated community, has particularly limited licensed childcare options and high reliance on informal care. Florida's VPK program is utilized at dozens of sites throughout the county.

Local Resources

The Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida serves Lee County, administering School Readiness subsidies and VPK enrollment and providing referral services. The Collaboratory (formerly Southwest Florida Community Foundation) supports early childhood initiatives in the county, including post-hurricane recovery funding for childcare providers. Lee County Head Start and Early Head Start, operated by Lutheran Services Florida, maintain sites across the metro with a focus on Dunbar, Lehigh Acres, and other communities with concentrated need.