Family Dept. defends $3.8 billion budget request before House panel.

Family Secretary Suzanne Roig Fuertes 

By THE STAR STAFF

Family Secretary Suzanne Roig Fuertes appeared Thursday before the House Treasury Committee to present the Executive Summary of the agency’s consolidated budget request for fiscal year 2026-2027.

Roig Fuertes was joined by the heads of the department’s four main administrations: Wilma I. Ortiz Rivera of the Administration of Families and Children (ADFAN by its acronym in Spanish); Blanca M. Medina Díaz of the Administration for the Socioeconomic Development of the Family (ADSEF); Amy D. Vega Ojeda of the Administration for the Comprehensive Care and Development of Early Childhood (ACUDEN); and María del Mar Mateu Meléndez of the Administration for Child Support Enforcement (ASUME).

The secretary told lawmakers that the recommended consolidated budget totals $3.83 billion, describing it as a direct investment in the protection, well‑being, and development of Puerto Rican families. She said the funding will allow the agency to continue strengthening essential services for children, older adults, people with disabilities and families in vulnerable situations.

Roig Fuertes emphasized that 89% of the department’s budget comes from federal funds, which support core programs such as the Nutritional Assistance Program (PAN), Head Start, Child Care, TANF, LIHEAP, TEFAP, and protective services for minors and seniors.

Aligned with the public policy priorities of Gov. Jenniffer González Colón, the department outlined several initiatives to modernize and expand services. They include new hiring of social workers and social work technicians at ADFAN; expanded home‑care and substitute‑care services for older adults and people with disabilities; continued implementation of ACUDEN’s ContiGo initiative; modernization of ASUME’s Puerto Rico Automated Child Support Enforcement System to speed up services; and new technological and programmatic tools at ADSEF, including the Participant Record Information System and the Cuna de Talentos program.

The department reiterated its commitment to modernizing its operations, strengthening interagency partnerships, and broadening access to essential programs for the island’s most vulnerable populations.

“We will continue working with focus, sensitivity, and responsibility to guarantee more agile, accessible and efficient services for our families,” Roig Fuertes said. “Our mission remains to protect, accompany, and provide tools that promote stability and self‑sufficiency for those who need it most.”