Tallahassee, FL - First Lady Casey DeSantis has announced a new program called, "Hope Florida," a program, spearheaded by First Lady DeSantis and operated by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF).
This program intends to utilize Care Navigators to assist Floridians in need by identifying goals and removing barriers to economic self-sufficiency through local, community-based partners, including the private sector, faith-based institutions, and nonprofit organizations.
It is estimated that over 25,000 Florida families have already been attended to, and have achieved economic sufficiency through the program.
"I am delighted to hit this milestone. The Governor and I know that Florida’s communities are full of organizations and businesses that want to lift up their neighbors in need, and this program has given them the outlet to do so," said First Lady Casey DeSantis. "I’ve had the privilege of meeting some of the families impacted by the program, and I am so proud of the work our state is doing to help them find resiliency and hope."
The program has benefits that would help Florida individuals and families resolve critical needs such as housing, food assistance, and help them achieve long-term goals like employment to ensure Floridians in need can support themselves.
"Hope Florida – A Pathway to Prosperity empowers Floridians with opportunities that support and strengthen resiliency and well-being. We know that if families have robust supports on the front end, they often won’t end up in crisis situations later," said Department of Children and Families’ Secretary Shevaun Harris. "The initiative blends support from multiple sources to ensure we are serving families holistically."
What began as a DCF pilot project in the Summer of 2020 has now become one of First Lady Casey DeSantis' top initiatives, and was rebranded as Hope Florida after it was expanded for the entire state. To find out more about Hope Florida, click here.
