St. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and first lady Casey DeSantis spoke Thursday at a church in St. Augustine to lay praise on Hope Florida.
Spearheaded by Casey DeSantis and implemented by the Florida Department of Children and Families, Hope Florida bills itself as a care portal connecting the needy to resources via volunteer groups, businesses and faith-based organizations as a means of transitioning off government assistance. The program’s mission statement reads, “We’re not just offering a handout — we’re empowering individuals to embrace their full God-given potential.”
Speaking at Anchor Faith Church, the governor said that Hope Florida is able to save Floridian taxpayers upwards of $100 million per year.
“The initiative has helped more than 30,000 Floridians to reduce or completely eliminate their reliance on public assistance. Thanks to this success, Hope Florida will save taxpayers over $100 million per year, a billion-dollar savings over a ten-year period, and so that is- you want to talk about DOGE and stuff? We’ve been doing DOGE in Florida for a long time, but this is a way you’re actually not even cutting any program per se, but you’re just making those programs unnecessary for people because they’re able to stand on their own two feet. That is the best way to save money and to save resources,” DeSantis said Thursday.
The governor described thousands of missions taken on by Hope Florida since its establishment, including over 11,000 referrals from the Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities, more than 6,000 from the Department of Elder Affairs and about 2,500 among the departments of Veterans Affairs, Juvenile Justice and Education combined. During the news conference, Pastor Earl Glisson said Anchor Faith Church alone had made a financial impact of $15,821 through Hope Florida.
The directors of Hope Florida Foundation Inc. last week agreed to make changes amid the state House Health Care Budget Subcommittee’s scrutiny of whether the foundation’s reciept of a $10 million donation was part of a $67 million legal settlement that Centene — Florida’s largest Medicaid managed-care company — made in 2024 with the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. The foundation then reportedly made $5 million grants to two groups each — Secure Florida’s Future and Save Our Society from Drugs — which made contributions to Keep Florida Clean.
Keep Florida Clean is a political committee headed by James Uthmeier — DeSantis’ chief of staff-turned-Florida’s attorney general — which fought Amendment 3, the proposed constitutional amendment on the November 2024 ballot which would have legalized recreational marijuana use in Florida had it not fallen short.
Responding to the controversy Thursday, the governor maintained his stance that the donation to Hope Florida Foundation Inc. was separate from the Medicaid settlement and that reports to the contrary are “phony narratives.”
“ACHA had to do this, they did it appropriately and it advanced the policies of the state of Florida,” DeSantis said. ”(...) They’re doing it to try to impugn Hope Florida, they’re trying to smear this program. Some of them, you know, some of these lefty journalists don’t like it. They don’t like you working with the faith-based community. Some of these people, you know, view it as a way to attack the first lady and all the great things she’s done because they view her as a threat. So that’s what’s what’s motivating this and so the reality is this has done an enormous amount of good, and I’m proud of the program soup to nuts."
Later Thursday, Florida Rep. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, announced his panel was halting its probe into Hope Florida. Andrade chairs the House Health Care Budget Subcommittee and announced the decision after the Hope Florida Foundation’s lawyer and leaders of nonprofits which received the $5 million grants refused to appear before the panel, according to News Service of Florida.
News 6 reached out for further specifics regarding how many people Hope Florida is assisting and received the following response:
Since 2021, Hope Florida has served over 120,000 residents, helping more than 30,000 individuals reduce or eliminate their reliance on public assistance, which has resulted in estimated savings of over $100 million per year. The Department of Children and Families calculated the impact by taking the actual benefit amount that an individual was receiving the month they entered Hope Florida and subtracting the current month’s benefit amount. This is done for every Hope Florida participant. For reduced reliance, it is the difference between the actual amounts, and for those no longer needing assistance it is the full amount.
Through collaborative efforts, the Hope Florida network includes six state agencies; 5,000 nonprofit and private sector organizations; 1,200 faith-based groups; and numerous individuals. Together, they have transformed the philosophy of social welfare. Due to the success of Hope Florida, the network continues to expand. We now have liaisons in all 67 sheriff’s offices, 28 Florida State Colleges, and we anticipate additional partners in the future. Hope Florida continues to inspire passionate organizations and volunteers.
Through the assistance of Hope Navigators, individuals receive a continuum of support rather than a mere “hand-off,” where a mission is considered accomplished upon referral. Hope Navigators work with individuals to develop long-term care plans, which often include multi-year goals to ensure lifelong success.
The Hope Florida community provides a pathway to self-sufficiency, prosperity, purpose, and ultimately happiness for Florida families in need.
Sierra Dean, deputy press secretary with the Executive Office of Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida (excerpt)
Watch the news conference again in the video player below or by clicking here.