Panama City, Panama. September 8, 2014. As part of ALAS’ advocacy program, ALAS’ Executive Director, Juan Antonio Pungiluppi, and Panama’s Minister of Social Development, Alcibiades Vásquez Velásquez, signed a two-year agreement today aimed to improve the quality of services provided in several Centers for Child and Family Development (COIF: Centros de Orientación Infantil y Familiar) in this Central American country.

This agreement of collaboration is an alliance between the two parties and will implement a pilot project that will improve the quality of up to four Centers for Child and Family Development (COIF). The document signed defines the functions and roles of each of the parties. ALAS Foundation will be responsible for leading the needed infrastructural adjustments and adaptations to existing centers and coordinating technical assistance to strengthen and improve services being provided. The Ministry of Social Development will ensure the sustainability and maintenance of these facilities. Juan Antonio Pungiluppi, ALAS’ Executive Director, highlighted the importance of this agreement, stating: "Signing this agreement is a step forward for the promotion of early childhood development in our region with the best possible partners, the Government of Panama. We believe that this joint effort between ALAS and the Ministry of Social Development will pave the way to innovate services offered by our neighboring country in favor of early childhood. We could not be happier to realize this joint dream in Panama, the place where our great Latin American movement for early childhood, called ALAS, all began."

The partnership between the Ministry of Social Development of Panama and ALAS will have a positive impact on the quality of life of benefiting children and their families who are from less advantaged sectors of this country. ALAS’ delegation will also visit some potential centers with government officials, after the ceremony. A delegation of important personalities, philanthropists and members of the government sector all working for early childhood in the region were also present for this event. Of note among these individuals was central American businessman and philanthropist, Stanley Motta, ALAS’ General Deputy Director, María Mercedes Liévano, as well as various Panamanian government officials responsible for developing policies and programs for early childhood.