History

Community Action Agencies were created in the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 to wage “an unconditional War against Poverty in America”.  In the formative years, three separate organizations in Florida (the Community Action Agencies Association, the Florida Concern for Children (Head Start), and the Equal Opportunity Officers Association) operated with the mutual objective of protecting the poor and disadvantaged.

As the Community Action initiative continued to grow, it became apparent that these separate forces could become more effective by merging. On November 30, 1979, representatives from these groups voted to create a unified organization to better serve Florida’s growing needs of the low income communities.  In 1981, the Florida Association for Community Action (FACA) was incorporated as a united federation of Community Action Agencies, Head Start programs, Weatherization programs, and concerned citizens.