2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHT - Public Welfare and Charitable Institutions (§§ 1 — 1422) › Chapter 42 - Child Safety, Well-being, and Protection Act (§§ 1101 — 1206) › Subchapter II - Guarantee of Rights and Prevention (§§ 1111 — 1127) › § 1116 - Family Support and Education Multi-Sector Community Board

The Family Support and Education Multi-Sector Community Board is hereby created for the purpose of coordinating, supporting, and promoting collaboration efforts between government agencies and nongovernmental organizations to guarantee the most effective and efficient attention to abuse, institutional abuse, neglect, and/or institutional neglect cases. It shall also provide and promote prevention, support, and treatment services to minors who are victims of abuse and/or institutional abuse and to their families, and shall support community efforts to such end. For such purposes, it shall plan, outline strategies, foster investigation and audits, and develop action plans with task forces directed in different topics.
The Board shall be chaired by the Secretary of the Department of the Family and shall include the Secretaries of each of the agencies to which responsibilities are delegated under § 1114 of this title - except for the Juvenile Institutions Administration, which shall be represented by the Department of Corrections - or representatives thereof with decision-making power; a representative of the College of Social Work Professionals; a representative of the private sector; a representative of non-profit and faith-based organizations; and a representative of the University of Puerto Rico. All of these members shall have work history or knowledge in providing care, shelter, counseling, treatment, or other services for at-risk populations or for surviving victims of child abuse and their families. The members of the Board who represent the College of Social Work Professionals, the private sector, non-profit and faith-based organizations, and the University shall be appointed by the Secretary for a six (6)-year term.
The Board shall have the following obligations:
(1) To promote compliance by the agencies of the Government of Puerto Rico with the obligations imposed thereto for the implementation of this chapter.
(2) To facilitate the approval and compliance of interagency cooperation agreements and agreements with other nongovernmental organizations to facilitate an integrated effort for the prevention of child abuse and to provide services for the comprehensive well-being and protection of children in accordance with the public policy stated herein.
(3) Create family support and education multi-sector community centers, which shall have the technology and resources to provide counseling to the population in need thereof, as well as training in life skills, among others.
(4) Conduct educational campaigns to promote values such as tolerance of differences, equality, solidarity, respect, participatory dialogue, human rights, and civic competence, among others.
(5) Develop and implement educational curricula of interest to families through the use of different pedagogical strategies, as well as the training of resources in all sectors to be agents of change where they work and meet.
(6) Outline strategies to provide continuous education to the general public that serve as work experience, incorporate interns in community centers, and provide spaces and technological support for these groups, among other strategies.
(7) Identify enterprises with a community component that may join in the education and prevention efforts.
(8) Enter into collaboration agreements to finance the marketing and development of the projects to be implemented. Incorporate the banking sector, so they may invest in community services and projects aimed at strengthening family bonds through the different programs available.
(9) Encourage the participation of sponsors from the private sector, so that they may provide financial support for the creation of cooperatives or microbusinesses to offer services to families in their own communities. At the same time, that they may offer training workshops directed to anger management, conflict management, prevention of child abuse, prevention of animal abuse, gender equality, decision-making, savings, effective intra family planning, education and adequate management of persons with special needs, and reconstituted families, among others.
(10) Create a support network to address the emotional and physical needs of people in their homes. The purpose of the foregoing is to foster social responsibility in all persons and to maximize financial resources, so that the State does not have to bear the financial burden of all these needs.
(11) To serve as a forum for harmonizing the procedures, visions, practices, and perspectives adopted by the different government agencies to address and intervene in cases of abuse, and/or institutional abuse, neglect, and/or institutional neglect.
(12) To promote interdisciplinary and interagency training of personnel in each of the government agencies that address and intervene in cases of abuse, and/or institutional abuse, neglect, and/or institutional neglect.
(13) To facilitate the communication and participation of nongovernmental, community, service, and professional organizations with scientific, technical, or specialized knowledge and training in the prevention, investigation, identification, counseling, treatment, and other services directed to at-risk populations or the surviving victims of abuse, and/or institutional abuse, neglect, and/or institutional neglect.
(14) Evaluate the effectiveness of the Department in meeting its responsibilities to protect children in accordance with the State Plan.
(15) Coordinate with the foster homes and adoption systems in accordance with the applicable regulatory and legal provisions.
(16) Evaluate the procedures of the Department to address child protection situations through professional services in order to have a more integrated view thereof.
The Secretary shall establish through regulations the functions of the Board, as well as the regions where the same shall be established, in order to guarantee its proper operation. Likewise, the provisions of this chapter on confidentiality shall include the work performed by this Board and each of its members.
History —Dec. 16, 2011, No. 246, § 9, eff. 90 days after Dec. 16, 2011.