In short
Prospera is the programme of ASUME — the same agency that administers child support — working in the opposite direction: people 60 or over who need support can seek it from their direct adult descendants, under Act 168-2000, as amended. Services may be requested by the older person themselves, by an adult child wanting to claim their siblings’ contribution toward their parents’ support, or by any natural or juridical person interested in the person’s wellbeing. Support is not only money: it can consist of monetary and non-monetary contributions, including services and care according to identified needs. There are two routes: the administrative mediation procedure — the fastest and most conciliatory, with a mediator helping reach agreements — and the judicial procedure before the court.
What is it?
It is the legal mechanism for an older adult who needs support to obtain it from their adult children or other descendants. Act 168-2000 — the Act for the Strengthening of Family Support and Sustenance of Older Adults, amended by Act 193-2002 — entrusted the programme to ASUME. The key word is sustenance, not just a payment: besides contributing money, the obligated person can be required to provide the services and care the person needs, according to the needs identified in the process. Prospera is not charity or a government benefit: it is the family’s obligation, channeled through an agency with the tools to establish and enforce it.
Who can do it?
Three kinds of person can request Prospera services. First, any person 60 or over who requires support from their direct adult descendants. Second, adult children who want to claim their siblings’ contribution toward their parents’ support — the typical case: one child carries everything and the others contribute nothing. Third, any natural or juridical person with an interest in the older person’s sustenance, who can refer the case; the Hoja de Referido (referral form) exists for that.
Requirements
- Being 60 or over and needing support from direct adult descendants; or being an adult child claiming siblings’ contribution toward the parents’ support; or being an interested person or entity referring the case.Verified against the official source
- Submitting the programme’s Service Request (or the Referral Form, if someone else refers the case), available on ASUME’s PROSPERA page.Verified against the official source
Documents you need
Cost
Step by step
Step 1: Decide who applies
The older person can apply on their own. If you are the child carrying your parents’ expenses alone, you too can start the process so your siblings contribute. And if you are a neighbor, a non-descendant relative, or an entity (for example, a home or care center concerned about a resident), you can submit a Referral Form for the programme to evaluate the case.
Step 2: Submit the application at ASUME
The Service Request and Referral Form are available in the PROSPERA section of ASUME’s portal. You can get guidance by calling (787) 767-1500 or visiting ASUME’s offices (central level: Edificio Mercantil Plaza, Ave. Ponce de León, San Juan; mail PO Box 70376, San Juan, PR 00936-8376).
Step 3: Try mediation first
The administrative mediation procedure is, per the programme itself, the fastest, most effective and most conciliatory route: a mediator helps the parties — the older person and their descendants — reach agreements on contributions. For many families this settles the matter without litigation and without further breaking relationships.
Step 4: If mediation fails: the court
The second route is the judicial procedure: requesting and obtaining a support order in court. There the judge determines the descendants’ obligation. Remember support can include non-monetary contributions — services and care — in addition to money.
Where to do it
At ASUME: the PROSPERA section of the asume.pr.gov portal has the Service Request and Referral Form. Phone (787) 767-1500. Central level: Edificio Mercantil Plaza, Ave. Ponce de León, San Juan; mail PO Box 70376, San Juan, PR 00936-8376. ASUME also serves through its regional offices.
How long it takes
What to do if something goes wrong
If the older person cannot or dares not apply — from dependence, shame or family pressure — the Referral Form exists precisely so an interested third party can start the process. If what exists is abuse, neglect or financial exploitation and not just lack of support, that runs through another route: the Department of the Family’s adult protective services and the elder abuse law; see the related guides. And if you are the descendant being claimed against and believe you cannot contribute what is asked, participate in the mediation with your evidence instead of ignoring the appointments: the process can end up in court.
Common mistakes
- Believing ASUME is only for child support. Prospera belongs to the same agency and works in the opposite direction: support for people 60 or over from their adult descendants.
- Thinking support is only money. The law contemplates monetary and non-monetary contributions: services and care per identified needs.
- Going straight to court without trying mediation, which the programme itself describes as the fastest and most conciliatory route.
- Not using the Referral Form when the person cannot apply on their own: any interested person or entity can refer the case.
- Confusing lack of support with abuse. If there is abuse, neglect or exploitation, beyond Prospera there are protective services and the Act 121-2019 route.
Frequently asked questions
How much do the children have to pay?
There is no fixed published amount: the contribution is determined case by case, by agreement in mediation or by court order, according to the person’s needs and the descendants’ capacity. And it can include services and care, not just money.
I am the only one helping my parents. Can I make my siblings contribute?
That case is expressly contemplated: adult children can claim their siblings’ contribution toward their parents’ support, starting with the Prospera application and mediation.
Can a care home start the process for a resident?
The programme page says services may be requested by any natural or juridical person interested in the older person’s sustenance, and publishes a Referral Form to channel it.
What if my children live outside Puerto Rico?
The page we read does not explain Prospera’s interstate process, so we cannot describe it to you with certainty. Ask ASUME directly at (787) 767-1500: the agency handles support cases involving people outside Puerto Rico daily and can guide you on your case.
Official sources
These are the government pages this guide is based on.
- Administración para el Sustento de Menores (ASUME)
ASUME
asume.pr.gov
- PROSPERA programme portal
ASUME
prospera.asume.pr.gov
- Act 168-2000, as amended by Act 193-2002 (text published by ASUME)
ASUME
asume.pr.gov
Last verified
August 16, 2026
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