Puerto Rico Project LAUNCH will be implemented in three municipalities—the islands of Culebra, Vieques, and Fajardo—through the Department of Health’s Northeast Region. Puerto Rico Project LAUNCH supports collaborative efforts and the integration of multiple components of a model system of care and prevention strategies for children 0–8 years of age and their families. Fajardo has a high incidence of poverty and violence, and an elevated high school dropout rate. Two of the seven municipalities in the Northeast Region, Vieques and Culebra, are islands, making access to services in these regions particularly challenging. The residents of Vieques have been challenged by significant poverty and geographic isolation, as well as longstanding concerns about the risk of exposure to environmental pollutants caused by 60 years of military operations on the island. Culebra Island is the municipality with the smallest population; it is challenged by its geographic location as well as access to health and education services. Puerto Rico Project LAUNCH is committed to increasing access to health services through screening and referrals, and to increasing the availability of resources in rural municipalities. It strives to establish a sustainable model of integrated services in the Northeast Region that can be replicated in other regions.
Cohort 6, Funding Period 2014–2019
