By Louisiana State Reps. Stephanie Berault and Kim Carver
Too many of our fellow Louisianans struggle to make ends meet and are trapped in cycles of dependency. With a poverty rate nearing 20%, the highest in the nation, and a workforce participation rate languishing among the lowest, our state demands bold, innovative solutions to unlock opportunity for all Louisianans. That’s why we, along with Gov. Jeff Landry and his administration as well as a bipartisan group of our colleagues, have embraced an innovative, transformative vision: “One Door” to integrate workforce and social services, empowering individuals to transition from dependency to self-sufficiency. Our legislation, House Bill 624 and House Bill 617, are critical steps toward making this vision a reality, creating a cohesive system that prioritizes work, opportunity and dignity, and, in the process, also strengthens our ability to keep vulnerable children safe.
The One Door concept is simple yet powerful: bring together fragmented social and workforce services into a single, accessible entry point for the people who need them and then focus on positive outcomes. Today, Louisianans navigating poverty often face a maze of disconnected programs – SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, and workforce training – each with its own bureaucracy, eligibility rules and offices. This complexity too often traps families in cycles of poverty.
Throughout the past year, a task force convened by Gov. Landry and chaired by Workforce Secretary Susie Schowen and Children and Family Services Secretary David Matlock, has proposed a new model of integrated service hubs, where caseworkers holistically address employment, education and social needs, reducing administrative waste and boosting outcomes. By aligning our systems to support the dignity of work and upward mobility, Louisiana can lead the country in addressing deeply entrenched poverty and the state’s workforce challenges.
Our legislation lays the foundation for this transformation. It builds on a pilot program to integrate workforce development and social services in select parishes, creating regional One Door centers. These centers will assess individuals’ needs, address urgent basic needs, and also offer them job training, career counseling, and social benefits to make upwardly mobile employment possible. By coordinating services, we reduce duplication and ensure caseworkers focus on personalized plans that prioritize progress toward self-sufficiency. Our bills also provide for the integration of IT systems and casework management across agencies to more quickly connect individuals with services, coordinate casework across programs, track outcomes, and ensure accountability and continuous improvement.
Our state’s low workforce participation rate – ninth worst in the nation – reflects untapped potential. Integrating services can boost employment by connecting people to training and jobs in high-demand sectors like energy, healthcare and maritime industries, where Louisiana’s ports and resources offer unique advantages. By streamlining access to apprenticeships, certifications, and job placement, One Door will help Louisianans seize these opportunities.
This proposal has been designed with compassion and practicality, offering robust support to ensure success. It doesn’t cut benefits; it reorients them toward empowerment, giving Louisianans the tools to thrive.
Adopting these proposals will also free up resources to more effectively respond to critical needs involving neglected and abused children. For years, the state has struggled to prioritize child welfare and the foster care system within the same state agency that manages large federal and state-funded social service programs. Transitioning those programs to the state agency that also connects and prepares individuals with job training and employment is a no-brainer, and it’s beyond time that we empower our child welfare agency to do its job well for the safety and well-being of Louisiana’s children.
Together, these bills address Louisiana’s crises of child welfare, poverty, and low workforce engagement. As representatives, we’re determined to protect children and support families. We’ve seen the frustration of constituents who are struggling navigating disjointed systems. We’ve heard from employers desperate for skilled workers and from families yearning for stability. The status quo isn’t working. Louisiana’s economic growth lags behind the nation, and our people deserve better. The One Door approach is a pragmatic, proven strategy to break the cycle of poverty and unleash our state’s potential.
We look forward to joining our colleagues in the Legislature to support these bills in the 2025 session. Let’s write Louisiana’s comeback story together – one where every citizen has a clear path to opportunity through a single, open door. Join us in building a stronger, more prosperous Louisiana.
Rep. Stephanie Berault and Rep. Kim Carver serve in the Louisiana House of Representatives, championing policies to promote opportunity and economic growth.