Coverage timeline
Department of the Family
Every story we’ve published that names Department of the Family, newest first.
October 2026
Oct 8–14
- Woman Caring for Parents and Ill Brother Says She Is Denied Aid, Including Housekeeper Service
Aixa Vallées, 51, is the main caregiver for her two parents and her brother, who face different health conditions, but she says she has not been able to obtain the help she needs to look after them.
- San Juan Court Orders Eviction of Octogenarian From Hato Rey Home of 27 Years
The San Juan Court ordered the eviction of María Magdalena, a woman in her eighties, from the home she has lived in for 27 years on Carbonell Street in the Roosevelt neighborhood of Hato Rey.
- Closure of UPR Social Work Scholarship Program Raises Concerns
Social worker Larry Emil Alicea warned on Friday that the closure of the master’s degree scholarship program in Social Work at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) will affect the recruitment of professionals for the Department of the Family, which has vacant positions and regions without supervision.
- Government Accused of Avoiding Public Bidding to Hide Contract Scheme
Luis Javier Hernández Ortiz, spokesperson for the Partido Popular Democrático (PPD) in the Senate, stated on NotiUno 630’s Normando en la Mañana that the government of Governor Jenniffer González Colón avoids public bidding meetings to hide a contract scheme.
- PPD Demands Governor Remove Family Secretary Suzanne Roig After Senate Hearing
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Secretary General Manuel Calderón Cerame said Governor Jenniffer González must immediately remove Family Secretary Suzanne Roig after her appearance Wednesday at a Senate public hearing.
- Coccoloba Denies Submitting Bid in NOLA Education Contract, Challenges Secretary Roig’s Senate Testimony
Coccoloba AgroEnvironmental LLC, an environmental consulting and tree management firm, denied on Thursday that it submitted a proposal in the invitation-only competitive process awarded to NOLA Education.
Oct 1–7
- La Fortaleza Says Family Secretary Roig Fuertes Keeps Her Post Amid Probe and Replacement Rumors
La Fortaleza’s Public Affairs secretary, Jean Peña Payano, insisted that Suzanne Roig Fuertes, secretary of the Family Department, still has Gov.
- Senate President Rivera Schatz Disputes La Fortaleza’s Account of $38 Million ADSEF Contract
The process of awarding $38 million in federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds to NOLA Education LLC to implement the Star Academy initiative in 25 public schools remains under scrutiny.
- Public Housing Deputy Secretary Alberto Fradera Exits, Doesn’t Rule Out Fortaleza Sought His Resignation
Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González faces another departure from her administration: Alberto Fradera, who ended his duties on September 30 as deputy secretary of the Public Housing Administration (AVP), a post he held for a year and a half.
- Family Department Secretary Fears for Her Safety, Leaves Home After Alleged Threats From Ousted ADSEF Administrator
Suzanne Roig Fuertes, secretary of Puerto Rico’s Department of the Family (DF), said Thursday she does not rule out legal action for defamation against Blanca Medina Díaz, the dismissed administrator of the Family Socioeconomic Development Administration (ADSEF), over public allegations Medina has made against her.
- Senate Demands Contracting Details from Family Department in Star Academy Controversy
The Puerto Rico Senate approved a request for information from Senator Juan Oscar Morales seeking key documents from the Department of the Family (Familia) related to efforts to bring the Star Academy project to the island.
September 2026
Sep 29–30
- Justice Department to Evaluate Senate President’s Referral Over $38 Million ADSEF Contract Controversy
Puerto Rico’s Department of Justice confirmed it received a referral on September 30 from Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz concerning a contracting process at the Administración de Desarrollo Socioeconómico de la Familia (ADSEF), according to Secretary of Justice Lourdes L.
- Sen. Ada Álvarez Conde Calls for Probe of Contracts at Puerto Rico’s Family Department
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) at-large senator Ada Álvarez Conde, a member of the Senate’s Family Committee, said controversies over contracting at the Department of the Family have eroded public trust and called for an investigation into allegations of undue pressure to award contracts at the agency.
- PRFAA Director Boffelli Rejects Ex-ADSEF Head Medina’s Claims of Pressure Over Star Academy Contract
Gabriella Boffelli, executive director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA), called false the allegations made by Blanca Medina Díaz, the former administrator of the Family Socioeconomic Development Administration (ADSEF), according to statements she gave on the program Normando en la Mañana.
- Senator Proposes New Funding System for Home Care Service
Senator Josean Santiago of the Partido Popular Democrático proposed distributing funds for the Department of Family’s home care service among the 78 municipalities using a formula, rather than a single central contract.
Sep 22–28
- Representative Alleges Governor Requested Resignation of ADSEF Administrator
Representative Héctor Ferrer Santiago, the spokesperson for the minority Popular Democratic Party (PPD) in the House of Representatives, alleged that Governor Jenniffer González requested the immediate resignation of Bianca Medina Díaz, the administrator of the Administración de Desarrollo Socioeconómico de la Familia (Adsef).
- Daycare License Suspended After Baby’s Death in Bayamón
The Department of Family (DF) suspended the license of the 'Pasemisin Kids’ daycare center in Bayamón on Monday, where a four-month-old baby died last week.
- Senate Seeks to Curb Financial Exploitation of Seniors
Senator Wandy Soto Tolentino, chair of the Family, Women, Elderly, and People with Disabilities Committee, introduced two legislative measures to strengthen the government’s response to financial exploitation of seniors and people with disabilities.
- Childcare Association Expresses Solidarity After Baby’s Death at Bayamón Daycare
A four-month-old baby girl died Tuesday at a daycare center in the Santa Juanita neighborhood of Bayamón, Puerto Rico, while authorities await autopsy results.
- PAN Beneficiaries Lose Home-Delivery Online Shopping Option
Starting September 22, beneficiaries of Puerto Rico’s Nutritional Assistance Program (PAN) can no longer place online orders for home delivery using their PAN card.
Sep 15–21
- Six Children, Including Infant, Removed from Río Piedras Home Amid Alleged Kidnapping Probe
A one-and-a-half-month-old baby and five other minors were removed on the morning of September 18 from an apartment in the Jardines de Monte Hatillo public housing project in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, amid an investigation into a possible kidnapping.
- PR Senate Hears Testimony on Bill to Overhaul Special Legal Procedures Code
The Puerto Rico Senate’s Judiciary Committee, chaired by at-large Senator Ángel Toledo López, held a public hearing on Senate Bill 1435, which he authored, to evaluate creation of the "Código de Procedimientos Legales Especiales de Puerto Rico" (Code of Special Legal Procedures of Puerto Rico).
Sep 8–14
- Governor Announces $2,000 Bonus for ASUME Employees
Governor Jenniffer González announced a special $2,000 bonus for 365 employees of the Child Support Administration (ASUME) and the PROSPERA Program, recognizing staff performance amid staffing shortages.
- Family Department Secretary Mourns Killing of Teen Who Fled Santurce Group Home
Puerto Rico’s Department of the Family (DF) Secretary Suzanne Roig Fuertes lamented the killing of 16-year-old Yadiel Torrales Lazú, who was shot seven times in the legs on Wednesday afternoon in a vacant lot in Arroyo.
Sep 1–7
- ASG Approves Contract for Housekeeping Services
The Administration of General Services (ASG) has authorized the Department of Family to contract housekeeping services through the correct mechanism.
August 2026
Aug 22–28
- 9th 'Start by Believing' Symposium to Address Sexual Violence and Digital Media
For the ninth consecutive year, the Centro Salud Justicia de Puerto Rico will hold its annual 'Empieza por Creer' (Start by Believing) symposium for professionals who work with victims of sexual violence.
- Family Department Backs Tougher Penalties for Elder Abuse and Illegal Elder Care Homes
Puerto Rico’s Department of the Family (DF) voiced support Wednesday for two bills before the House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee aimed at imposing harsher criminal penalties on clandestine elder care homes and increasing prison time for elder abuse.
July 2026
Jul 15–21
- Police Seek Help Finding Missing 16-Year-Old in Santurce
Puerto Rico Police are asking for public assistance to locate Catalina Z.
- Family Department Disputes Claim It Limits Elder Advocate’s Oversight Powers
Jean Peña Payano, Puerto Rico’s secretary of Public Affairs, pushed back on statements by Yolanda Varela Rosa, the Procuradora de las Personas de Edad Avanzada (Advocate for the Elderly), who said the Department of the Family (Departamento de la Familia) had limited her authority to oversee elder-care centers.
Jul 8–14
- 16-Year-Old Girl Reported Missing in Villa Palmeras
The Police are seeking the public’s help in locating 16-year-old Catalina Z.
- Elderly Affairs Ombudswoman Presents Evidence of Lost Oversight Powers Amid Nursing Home Abuse Case
Amid the case of an elderly woman allegedly mistreated at the Casa Dorada home in Las Piedras, Yolanda Varela Rosa, Puerto Rico’s Procurator for the Elderly (Oppea), presented evidence Tuesday of comments she submitted nearly a year ago—an August 8, 2025 letter—to the Department of the Family, warning that regulatory changes stripped her office of oversight powers.
- Funds Still Available to Help Pay Overdue Electric Bills in Puerto Rico
The Administración de Desarrollo Socioeconómico de la Familia (ADSEF), under Puerto Rico’s Department of the Family, confirmed to Primera Hora that funds remain available to help low-income families pay overdue electricity bills.
- DF Secretary: No Legal Grounds Yet to Act Against Las Piedras Elder Care Home Before Abuse Case
Department of the Family (DF) Secretary Suzanne Roig Fuertes said in a radio interview with WKAQ-580 that an ongoing investigation into Hogar Casa Dorada, an elder care home in Las Piedras, had not yet reached the point where the agency could legally take the case to court, prior to the discovery of an abused elderly woman there over the weekend.
- Caregiver Who Beat Elderly Woman Faces Psychiatric Evaluation; Care Home License Revoked
Eddie Mojica Pérez, a caregiver at the Casa Dorada elderly care home in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico, admitted to authorities that he assaulted an 87-year-old woman on Saturday.
- Man Arrested After 86-Year-Old Found Injured in Alleged Abuse Case at Las Piedras Elder Care Home
Puerto Rico Police arrested a man in connection with an alleged abuse case involving an 86-year-old woman at Hogar Casa Dorada, a long-term care facility in the Collores neighborhood of Las Piedras.
- PR Family Department Revokes License of Elderly Care Home After Alleged Assault on Octogenarian
Puerto Rico’s Department of the Family announced on a Sunday afternoon that it immediately revoked the license of the long-term care home Casa Dorada, located in Las Piedras, after a new alleged abuse case involving an elderly woman was reported at the facility.
- 2-Year-Old Boy Falls from Motorcycle in Ponce
A 2-year-old boy suffered a fall from a motorcycle in Ponce, according to a police report from Saturday night.
- Two-Year-Old Injured in Motorcycle Fall in Ponce
A two-year-old boy was injured after falling from a motorcycle on Saturday night in the Dr.
- Caregiver Detained After Beating Elderly Woman at Las Piedras Care Home; License Revoked
An 87-year-old woman is in guarded condition after allegedly being beaten and dragged by her caregiver at the Casa Dorada elder-care home in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico, on Saturday, July 11.
Jul 1–7
- Tragedy Strikes Arecibo Family After Infant’s Death in Boquerón
A three-year-old infant from Arecibo died in a swimming pool at a short-term rental apartment in Boquerón, Cabo Rojo.
- Three-Year-Old Drowns in Pool at Cabo Rojo Parador
A three-year-old child drowned in the pool of a parador in Cabo Rojo, according to the Police.
- Special Food Payment Date Revealed for Minors
The Department of Family and the Administration for Socioeconomic Development of the Family (ADSEF) announced that approximately 332,775 students who receive school meal services may be eligible for a special payment of $180 to support food security during the school recess.
June 2026
Jun 29–30
- Man from Gurabo Arrested for Alleged Pattern of Sexual Abuse Against Two Teenagers
Judge Irmarie Colón Massó of the Caguas Tribunal found cause for arrest against Isabelo Santana Casul, 44, for allegedly maintaining a pattern of abuse and sexual abuse against two adolescent relatives.
Jun 22–28
- Police Investigate Death of Dog in Bayamón, Find Suspect’s Home in Squalid Conditions
On Monday, the Police conducted a raid on the residence of 60-year-old Neftalí Rosado Vélez, suspected of killing his own dog in the Santa Juanita urbanization of Bayamón.