By The Star Staff
Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia participated on Tuesday in the first Summit of the 2 Generations Centers, better known as 2 Gen, along with Family Secretary Ciení Rodríguez Troche, Administration for the Care and Comprehensive Development of Children (ACUDEN) head Roberto Carlos Pagán, legislators, mayors, agency heads, and staff from nonprofit organizations.
The summit, which was also attended by members of the general public, provided an opportunity to point out the efforts being made to meet the needs of minors and their families, as well as offer training, professional development and workshops on core issues for the proper functioning of the centers.
“As governor, I reaffirm my commitment and that of my administration to continue working hard to contribute to the comprehensive development of our boys and girls, as well as their families,” Pierluisi said in a written statement. “The 2 Gen Centers follow a two-generation comprehensive development model, with an innovative and transformative approach, led by our Family Department and ACUDEN. The adoption of this model arises from the constant search for effective strategies to address the challenges that our families face, as well as the complexities of poverty and inequality.”
“One of the fundamental pillars of comprehensive development in the 2 Gen Centers is their holistic approach, simultaneously addressing the needs of minors and their families,” Pierluisi said. “With this dual approach we know that long-term success is intrinsically linked to the stability of the entire family. By providing resources and support to parents, we can create a more conducive environment for child development and establish a positive cycle that helps overcome the intergenerational cycle of poverty. Investing in the development of sustainable skills and resources creates stronger, more self-sufficient communities, decreasing dependence on social assistance in the long term.”
“Furthermore, this model recognizes that early education can have a lasting impact on social mobility, as investment in education not only increases individual opportunities, but also strengthens the family structure,” he added.
The governor noted that the 2 Gen Centers provide a range of integrated counseling services, workshops for parents and guardians, access to a virtual library, financial and economic sustainability training, in addition to child development services, which include the areas of language and communication, socio-emotional, physical and cognitive development, as well as special education.
Currently, there are 12 remodeled facilities in the municipalities of Utuado, Vega Baja, Vega Alta, Cayey, Patillas, Guayanilla, San Juan, Naranjito, Toa Baja, Juncos, Coamo and Ciales, and the COSSIANI centers were recently inaugurated in Toa Baja, Naranjito and San Juan.
“We are going to continue transforming the way and manner in which we provide services to our people,” the governor stressed. “This approach is consistent with our Social Reconstruction and Violence Prevention efforts, because to the extent that we help our families, address their needs and provide them with the services that promote their development and sustainability, we will achieve a more just and equitable society, which promotes the culture of peace and respect to which we all aspire in Puerto Rico.”
“For that I count on all of you, because it is through collaborative work and unity of purpose that we will be able to build that Puerto Rico that we all want,” Pierluisi said.