Puerto Rico

No Program

Puerto Rico has preschool education programs that are funded by grants from various areas. This description shows how Puerto Rico, which operates as a single school district, supports several early childhood education initiatives. 

Early childhood preschool programs are administered by the Administration for Integral Child Care and Development (ACUDEN) and the Department of Education has authority over early childhood special education. There are seven levels of education in Puerto Rico, and Level One is nursery school for children under age four, which is optional and consists of Early Head Start, Head Start and other prekindergarten programs. Level Two is compulsory preschool, also known as kindergarten, which is mandatory for 5-year-olds. 

ACUDEN is the grantee that receives federal funding for Head Start and Early Head Start Programs. It is also the lead agency for the Child Care Program funds. The agency guarantees the provision of and access to comprehensive care and development for the neediest children from their early formative stages, and encourages the participation of fathers, mothers, caregivers, and relatives of the child in the educational and formative process.

Head Start operates in Puerto Rico throughout nine delegated agencies. In 2023-2024, these programs had an impact on 4,229 children, 3,845 of whom were in Head Start and 384 in Early Head Start. There is an active multi-sectoral regulatory council for Head Start, which has representation from various sectors and meets every two months.

Child Care Program aims to increase the accessibility, availability, and quality of care services, as well as strengthen the comprehensive development of children in Puerto Rico and provide support to adults in achieving self-sufficiency. Through the Child Care Program, ACUDEN funds 105 services providers and over 345 centers, serving over 7,770 children.

In December 2019, Puerto Rico was awarded an initial PDG B–5 grant for the purpose of updating early childhood planning efforts in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico received $547,000 to support the development of planning and coordination of the early childhood development and education system. As part of this grant, a COVID-19 Pandemic Needs Assessment was conducted, which yielded important data on economic inequality among children in Puerto Rico, as well as mental health, access to services and system coordination. As a result of these findings, training was initiated for service providers in mental health, specifically psychological recovery from trauma after disasters.

In December 2020, Puerto Rico was awarded a three-year PDG B–5 renewal grant in the amount of $4,682,916. This grant provides continuity to the activities designed to achieve an integrated system of early childhood services. To date, Puerto Rico successfully disseminated the Needs Assessment, developed Early Learning Guidelines, held Virtual Wellness Cafes for over 5,000 participants, and provided professional development opportunities to early childhood professionals, among other activities.

In August 2022, through the collaboration of the PDG B-5 Project and the Department of Education, Puerto Rico developed and approved the 0-60 Month Education and Development Standards, which are currently being implemented.

The objectives of PDG B-5 for 2023-2024 primarily focused on training staff working in childcare centers with the purpose of promoting best practices to optimize the development and well-being of children. To achieve this, a variety of workshops, certifications, and orientations were held, aimed at improving the early childhood ecosystem. These activities enabled ACUDEN to meet its strategic plan and achieve a successful project closure.

Puerto Rico has not had an active Multisector Council for Early Childhood since 2016. However, throughout the efforts of the PDG B-5 Project, the Governor of Puerto Rico signed an executive order to reactivate the Multisectoral Council for Early Childhood in October 2023. The Council has developed public policies in the areas of health, education, security and family well-being. It has also been able to expand the services offered by ACUDEN through partnerships with government agencies and non-governmental organizations to create and offer inclusive and efficient services for children. As part of its service expansion strategies, the Council has developed training programs for parents, educators, and social workers about the importance of early development and the role of the family in the education of children.

Through an agreement established with the University of Puerto Rico, ACUDEN developed a pilot quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) called PASITOS in 2010, which was validated to serve as a self-assessment for participating care centers. In 2023, ACUDEN requested the Department of Social Work of the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico, Metropolitan Campus to update the referred measurement instrument. This instrument, called Centros del Futuro (Centers of the Future), is a multisectoral aspiration aimed to ensure children develop in environments that foster their full and optimal growth. The instrument outlines a series of criteria to assess the quality of services, operations, and the environment in early childhood care and development centers in Puerto Rico.

The next steps for the Centros del Futuro initiative involve further automating process and making the tool available to all childcare centers in Puerto Rico. This will help increase the quality of services provided, ensuring that our children receive the best possible practices across the various areas impacted by this initiative. Additionally, the initiative aims to boost participation year after year. During the 2023 cycle, 88 centers participated, and in the most recent cycle of 2024, participation grew to 112 centers. By continuing to expand the reach of this initiative, ACUDEN aims to enhance the overall care and development of children across Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico

Access

Resources

*Pre-K programs may receive additional funds from federal or local sources that are not included in this figure. †Head Start per-child spending includes funding only for 3- and 4-year-olds. ‡K–12 expenditures include capital spending as well as current operating expenditures.