This morning at Pensacola State College, First Lady Casey DeSantis passionately defended the Hope Florida initiative, a program she developed after extensive research with stakeholders across Florida’s child welfare and mental health systems.
- “I hate to see people suffer,” Mrs. DeSantis explained, highlighting her motivation for creating the program. “There are people in our society and in our state who are suffering. And if there is something that we can do to ease their suffering, then we have an obligation to stand up and fight for them.”
Transformaton & Innovation
The First Lady emphasized that Hope Florida was not designed to grow government but rather to transform how existing resources are utilized. The initiative converts government benefit processors into “navigators” who serve as mentors and coordinators for those in need, particularly single mothers.
- “Instead of ‘here’s your check, I hope it goes well, and we’ll see you in six months,'” DeSantis explained, navigators now ask, “What can you do?” and “How do you need help?” She described how these navigators help connect people with resources outside of government, including nonprofits and faith-based organizations.
A key innovation of Hope Florida is its electronic alert system that allows navigators to send requests directly to participating churches when immediate needs arise. “They show up with hope and love,” DeSantis said, noting that these faith communities often deliver groceries and other necessities directly to people’s homes.
The First Lady also highlighted the initiative’s focus on mentorship for children and vocational training for adults, creating pathways to economic self-sufficiency. She proudly mentioned that the program has already helped 30,000 people find assistance.
DeSantis stressed the preventative aspects of Hope Florida: “Why is it that government, a lot of times, waits until there’s a problem?” She described partnerships with sheriff’s offices across Florida to identify and help people before they need extensive government assistance.
“This is not a program per se. This is about a philosophy,” she concluded. “This is about how do we re-engineer and restructure government to benefit the taxpayer and to benefit the people who deserve help.”
The First Lady invited others to adopt the model, noting that people from across the United States are coming to Florida to learn about the initiative’s success.