While we are still faced with uncertainty on how the COVID-19 pandemic will progress and the extent of the aftershocks, the unprecedented challenges derived from it will, directly and indirectly, affect this generation’s children for years to come. The short and long-term health and economic stressors will affect the systems which help raise, educate, and nurture children, and threaten to set back families who already may be struggling with the compounding effects of poverty and exposure to previous disasters.

In response to the growing concerns, NCDP in collaboration with the Institute for Youth Development (IDJ) and the Puerto Rico Children and Youth Task Force (CYTF), held a seven-part webinar series titled the “Children of Puerto Rico and COVID-19: At the Crossroads of Poverty and Disaster” which took place from April 8th, 2020, and May 20th, 2020. These webinar series proceedings are a summary of the information, and the practical and policy recommendations presented. The proceedings aim to facilitate the broader dissemination and amplification of the perspectives and recommendations provided by the 13 local and national collaborating organizations, with the purpose of advancing debates and problem solving for some of the pressing challenges that children and families continue to face during this crisis.

Webinar resources including recordings and presentations can be accessed here: https://bit.ly/rcrc-c19webinars