First Lady Casey DeSantis Announces Major New Initiative

Hope Florida – A Pathway to Prosperity: Uniting communities through ‘Care Navigators’ to guide Floridians on an individualized path to prosperity, economic self-sufficiency

and hope. TALLAHASSEE, Fla .– Today, First Lady Casey DeSantis launched Hope Florida – A Pathway to Prosperity. This major new initiative has been spearheaded by First Lady DeSantis and implemented by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), utilizing ‘Care Navigators’ to guide Floridians on an individualized path to prosperity by focusing on community collaboration between the private sector, faithbased community, nonprofits and government entities to break down traditional community silos, to maximize resources and uncover opportunities. “Having the privilege of traveling the state, our team saw an immense value in bringing together public and private groups to collaborate and communicate with and on behalf of Floridians,” said First Lady Casey DeSantis.

“Essentially, we are bringing good people together to work with and on behalf of good people in need. To accomplish this, the program will empower ‘Care Navigators’ to collaborate with community partners to create a customized plan for success, tailor-made for the individual.” ‘Care Navigators’ are essential in helping individuals identify their unique and immediate barriers to prosperity, develop longterm goals, map out a strategic plan and work to ensure all sectors of the community have a ‘seat at the table’ and are a part of the solution. Hope Florida – A Pathway to Prosperity was piloted in August 2020 in six counties as a voluntary program available to DCF customers receiving public benefits. To date, the initiative has served more than 10,000 Floridians.