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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, First Lady Casey DeSantis announced the CareerSource Florida Board of Directors’ support for Hope Florida through expanded services and enhanced coordination between CareerSource Florida and the Department of Children and Families to help Floridians with barriers to employment get and keep good jobs.
“Sometimes the key to entering a promising new career path and maintaining that employment is the support you have, like childcare or transportation. We’re bringing agencies that provide support together to help Floridians in need make strides in the workforce through the Hope Florida initiative,” said First Lady Casey DeSantis. “Dedicated Hope Navigators focused specifically on connecting Floridians with careers and skills training will work with the CareerSource Florida network to help them embark on their pathway to prosperity.”
At yesterday's board meeting, the CareerSource Florida Board of Directors approved more than $20 million in Governor’s Reserve funding and Wagner-Peyser funds for the new fiscal year through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to expand workforce services and support to Floridians seeking careers. The funding includes new Hope Navigators at each of the state’s local workforce development boards. The Hope Navigators will work directly with Hope Florida participants to find jobs, enroll in training, and launch new career pathways that lead to self-sufficiency and economic prosperity.
“The CareerSource Florida Board is honored to help expand the Hope Florida initiative championed by First Lady Casey DeSantis,” said CareerSource Florida Board Chair Stephanie Smith. “With Hope Florida, we will further eliminate red tape between state agencies to ensure we are working collaboratively and comprehensively to help Floridians with challenges succeed in the workplace.”
“We are excited about this employment-focused expansion of the transformational Hope Florida initiative created by Florida’s First Lady and we continue to be grateful for her bold vision and unwavering support,” said Department of Children and Families Secretary Shevaun Harris, who serves on the CareerSource Florida Board. “This new, focused effort will further ensure we are using public resources effectively to help more Floridians and their families achieve economic stability and improve their quality of life.”
Governor’s Reserve Funds approved by the CareerSource Florida Board will support the following programs in the new fiscal year:
These dedicated funds to the Hope Florida initiative build on the momentum and outcomes of the innovative Hope Florida initiative, led by the Department of Children and Families, that also includes programs for supporting seniors (Florida Department of Elder Affairs) and at-risk youth and their families (Florida Department of Juvenile Justice) as well as a first-in-the-nation, private-sector partnership that encourages businesses to provide tangible items like mattresses and clothes, along with financial assistance and transportation, to Floridians with short-term unmet needs.
Families in need of services can connect with the program through a number of pathways, including by visiting the Department of Children and Families website by clicking here or calling the Hope Line (850-300-HOPE).
This information was provided to Tidings Media by the Office of Governor Ron DeSantis and is reprinted with permission.