FLORIDA COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY PROGRAMS
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federally funded program that helps income-qualified families with home heating and cooling costs. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) administers LIHEAP and allocates funding directly to a network of community action agencies, also known as local agency providers, located throughout the state of Florida.
The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) annually provides grant funds to community action agencies, local governments, Indian tribes and non-profit agencies to provide specific program services for low-income families of Florida. These entities provide program services throughout the state.
The Community Services Block Grant Program (CSBG) provides federal funds to designated local governments and nonprofit agencies called community action agencies, also known as local agency providers, to assist eligible income-qualified households with attaining the skills, knowledge and motivation necessary to achieve self-sufficiency. The agencies may provide a variety of antipoverty services such as emergency health, food, housing, day care, transportation assistance; housing counseling; financial management assistance; nutrition programs including federal surplus food distribution, community gardening projects, food banks, job counseling, placement and training services and homeless prevention programs.
Ninety percent of the CSBG program funds are allocated to the state’s existing network of community action agencies. This is a formula-based grant and is not competitive.
The Florida Head Start State Collaboration Office (FHSSCO) is a federally funded office with the specific purpose of supporting and improving collaboration between Head Start and other providers of educational, medical, and social services in Florida. The office coordinates federal, state, and local policy to help ensure a unified early care and education system. Sponsored by the Florida Institute of Education at the University of North Florida, hosted by the Agency for Workforce Innovation Office of Early Learning and in partnership with the Florida Head Start Association, FHSSCO works to coordinate activities with the governor’s office, key state agencies, and other early childhood associations and advocacy groups.