Fundación Súper Héroes warned that the lack of child care services in Puerto Rico, a 43% gap for children ages 0 to 5 whose caregivers work, along with limited access to therapies and services for children with special needs, keeps many families trapped in a cycle of poverty. The group cited the study "Una visión panorámica del ecosistema de cuidado infantil y preescolar de Puerto Rico," published in March 2026 by the Instituto del Desarrollo de la Juventud (IDJ), which identifies 40 towns with insufficient or nonexistent child care supply.
Maricao, Peñuelas, Loíza, Vieques, Ciales and Jayuya are among those with insufficient supply, while Peñuelas, Ceiba, Morovis, Comerío and Guayanilla are among those with the largest economic gaps. The study says the situation is harder in rural communities, high-poverty towns and less densely populated areas. During October, Poverty Eradication Month, the foundation urged that child care be recognized as infrastructure that lets families work.
IDJ’s analysis found 70% of low-income female heads of household name child care as their main obstacle to work. Executive director Soammy Acevedo said the impact is greater for families of children with functional diversity, and noted that under the IDEA law the state must provide their educational and therapeutic services. The foundation said the Child Care Program, run by the Administration for the Integral Care and Development of Children (ACUDEN), uses vouchers but lacks sufficient funds; families at its center have waited over a year.
It proposes strengthening services in the towns with the largest gaps, protecting continuity for enrolled children, reviewing providers’ real costs, and publishing voucher and waiting-list data.