BABCOCK RANCH, Fla. (March 12, 2026) – Children and families impacted by autism at Babcock Ranch will soon have on-site access to clinical and support services with the announcement of Family Initiative coming to Curry Commerce Center. The nonprofit organization will occupy a 3,000-square-foot space and provide a full range of programs, including free screenings, applied behavior analysis and occupational therapies as well as autism play groups, teen meetups, parent education and community conversations.
“We’ve hosted free autism screenings at Babcock Ranch and quickly felt such a strong response from families seeking both answers and support,” said David Brown, president and cofounder of Family Initiative. “This partnership allows us to establish a permanent presence in a rapidly growing part of the region and serve families closer to home.”
The expansion reflects Babcock Ranch’s long-standing commitment to education and inclusive programming for children of all abilities. Brown credited Syd Kitson, Babcock Ranch’s visionary founder, as a “champion and advocate” of Family Initiative, which offers individualized assistance based on the needs of the child and family. The Curry Commerce Center facility represents the organization’s first dedicated space in Babcock Ranch, with plans to expand its presence in the town as demand grows.
“Education has always been a cornerstone of Babcock Ranch,” said Syd Kitson, CEO of Kitson & Partners, the developer of America’s first solar-powered town. “Supporting children of all abilities and ensuring families have access to meaningful resources close to home is essential to building a town where everyone can thrive. Family Initiative strengthens that commitment.”
Family Initiative will be among the first tenants of Curry Commerce Center, Babcock Ranch’s Class A flex/light industrial development. Designed to accommodate businesses that require a combination of office, service and operational space, the commerce park marks an important milestone in the town’s continued commercial growth.
“Curry Commerce Center represents an important step in fulfilling our vision for a town designed not just for growth, but for the everyday needs of our families,” said Kitson. “As our residential population grows, it is critical that commercial development keeps pace, bringing jobs, services and opportunities closer to home.”
Family Initiative was established in 2015 by Brown and Anjali Van Drie with the mission of redefining autism by fostering change, supporting children with autism and strengthening their families. Headquartered in Cape Coral, the organization offers clinical services, including art, music, yoga and dance classes, and support programs led by an 80-member team.
“We were founded with the intention of providing no-cost community-based programs for families and children on the autism spectrum,” said Brown. “We’ve grown from offering a continuum community-based program to offering a wide array of clinical and diagnostic services.”
Family Initiative provides high-quality services, cutting-edge interventions, guided play to teach lasting life skills, and engages caregivers, lawmakers, schools, communities and peer institutions as partners. Its team of clinicians serves children through compassionate, personalized solutions for sustainable outcomes. For more information, visit fi-florida.org. For more information about Family Initiative’s Thrive Academy Micro School program, please email thriveinfo@fi-florida.org.
About Babcock Ranch:
Created by Kitson & Partners with the philosophy that smart growth and sustainability work hand-in-hand, half of Babcock Ranch’s town’s footprint is set aside as greenways, parks and expansive lakes, providing recreation and scenic backdrops for homes and businesses. A top 10 best-selling master-planned community for four consecutive years, the town is planned for 19,500 residences and approximately 6,000,000 square feet of commercial space. Built to Florida Green Building Coalition standards, homes emphasize energy and water conservation and have a full gig of fiber-optic connectivity. Prices range from the upper-$200,000s to $4 million. For more information about Southwest Florida’s new hometown, located just northeast of Fort Myers off Babcock Ranch Road/State Road 31, visit the Woodlea Hall Discovery Center at 42850 Crescent Loop in Babcock Ranch, call 877-709-6620, or visit BabcockRanch.com.
About Family Initiative:
Founded in 2015, Family Initiative Inc. is a Florida-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting children with autism and strengthening their families. Its team of clinicians serves children through a compassionate, personalized approach using Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Occupational Therapy (OT). The organization also offers autism play groups, teen meetups, parent education, and community conversations. In addition, Family Initiative provides training and support for child welfare caregivers through its Family Impact Program. For more information, visit www.fi-florida.org, follow Family Initiative on Facebook and Instagram at @FamilyInitiative, or on X (formerly Twitter) at @FI_Inc.
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One of the first announced tenants in Curry Commerce Center, Family Initiative will occupy a 3,000-square-foot space in the new business hub in Babcock Ranch.
Family Initiative provides a full range of programs, including free screenings, applied behavior analysis and occupational therapies as well as autism play groups, teen meetups, parent education and community conversations.
