✦ An independent civic guideResearch edition
★Puerto RicoGovernment explained
SearchES
☰
Home/Institutions

Institutions

Department of the Family

Leads state-level social-services policy and coordinates the administrations responsible for economic assistance, family protection, child care, and child support.

Arts. 3–5 ↗ · Sources consulted:

Department of the Family · Departamento de la Familia · Familia

FamiliaState-levelActive

Spanish legal name: Departamento de la Familia. Spanish legal names are retained. Some English names are functional translations.

Official websiteThe mapPractice
Government level
State-level
Branch or grouping
Executive
Type
Department
Sources consulted
Oct 18, 2026

What it does

  • Sets policy, standards, and priorities for social services and evaluates its components’ operations.Arts. 3–4 ↗ · Sources consulted:
  • Coordinates ADFAN, ADSEF, ASUME, and ACUDEN; each administration has its own responsibilities and leadership.Art. 5 ↗ · Sources consulted:
  • Oversees departmental planning, budgeting, and fiscal control across its components.Art. 4(c), (d) ↗ · Sources consulted:

In everyday life

A family seeking food assistance and child-care information may need two separate contacts: PAN through ADSEF and child-care services through ACUDEN. The department coordinates these areas, while each program has its own requirements.PAN program ↗Child Care program ↗ · Sources consulted:

Families & rights ↗

How to distinguish it from other institutions

PAN and TANF are handled by ADSEF. Child-support matters belong to ASUME: belonging to the same department does not make these the same service.Programs; Online services ↗Online services ↗ · Sources consulted:

ADFAN handles family protection and support; ACUDEN focuses on child care and development. A child-care application is different from a protective-services intervention.Arts. 6, 9 ↗ · Sources consulted:

Official services and information

Confirm requirements, forms, and schedules on the linked official portal.

Where it fits

Map groupings support navigation; they do not themselves establish reporting authority.

Legal basis

Act 171 of June 30, 1968, arts. 2–4, and Reorganization Plan 1-1995, arts. 2–9, as amended. The plan renamed Social Services as the Department of the Family and organizes its administrations.Arts. 2–9 ↗Arts. 2–4 ↗ · Sources consulted:

The enabling reference is a reading aid. Consult applicable texts and amendments in official sources; directory cards can retain older references.

Leadership & appointments

Secretary of the Family

The Secretary leads the department and is appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. This process differs from the appointment rules for individual component administrators.Art. 2 ↗ · Sources consulted:

Suzanne Roig Fuertes

Sources consulted: Oct 17, 2026 · Sources & method ↓

Appointment
Verification pending
Confirmation
Verification pending
Term end
Verification pending

Governance & composition

The law and plan vest leadership in the Secretary rather than a corporate governing board. Component administrations have their own authorities; councils established for particular programs do not replace this executive structure.Arts. 2, 4–9 ↗ · Sources consulted:

Sources consulted: Oct 18, 2026

Sources & method

The consultation date is not the institution’s own update date.

  1. PR.gov — Departamento de la Familia ↗https://pr.gov/directorio-de-agencias/departamento-de-la-familia-df-aSources consulted: Oct 17, 2026
  2. Departamento de la Familia — componentes y servicios ↗https://www.familia.pr.gov/Sources consulted: Oct 18, 2026
  3. Plan de Reorganización 1-1995 — Departamento de la Familia (compilación OGP) ↗https://bvirtualogp.pr.gov/ogp/Bvirtual/reogGubernamental/PDF/Planes%20de%20Reorganizaci%C3%B3n%20vigentes/1-1995.pdfSources consulted: Oct 18, 2026 · Document revised: Aug 13, 2025
  4. ADSEF — programas y servicios en línea ↗https://serviciosenlinea.adsef.pr.gov/Sources consulted: Oct 18, 2026
  5. ASUME — servicios oficiales ↗https://asume.pr.gov/Sources consulted: Oct 18, 2026
  6. ACUDEN — servicios y programas ↗https://www.acuden.pr.gov/serviciosSources consulted: Oct 18, 2026
  7. Ley 171-1968 — Ley Orgánica del Departamento de la Familia (compilación OGP) ↗https://bvirtualogp.pr.gov/ogp/Bvirtual/LeyesOrganicas/pdf/171-1968.pdfSources consulted: Oct 18, 2026 · Document revised: Apr 27, 2026
  8. Ley 66-1978 — Administración de Servicios Médicos (compilación OGP) ↗https://bvirtualogp.pr.gov/ogp/Bvirtual/LeyesOrganicas/Pages/66-1978.pdfSources consulted: Oct 18, 2026 · Document revised: Apr 16, 2024
How we verify →