“Child welfare agencies sometimes fail — sometimes tragically — but they are designed to shield our most vulnerable children from heinous abuse at the hands of adults who are supposed to care for them.”
Source: Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (via Facebook)
SANTA FE, N.M. — A newly released report from New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez examining failures within the state’s Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) has prompted a response from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, who acknowledged the seriousness of the findings while emphasizing reforms made under her administration.
In a statement posted to social media, the governor addressed both the report’s findings and the broader challenges facing the state’s child welfare system:
Statement Posted to Facebook
A report released by New Mexico’s Attorney General today reviewed failures by New Mexico’s Children Youth and Families Department. I share New Mexicans’ heartbreak over these disturbing allegations, and I will never minimize the tragedy of any child that CYFD has failed to protect.
It’s important to note that the Attorney General’s report captures a system of the past. The disturbing episodes recounted in the document occurred before our new cabinet secretary, Valerie Sandoval, assembled a dedicated and talented new leadership team. This team has rebuilt CYFD’s relationships with advocates, attorneys and community partners who now are rowing in the same direction as they transform New Mexico’s system for protecting our most vulnerable children.
Child welfare agencies sometimes fail — sometimes tragically — but they are designed to shield our most vulnerable children from heinous abuse at the hands of adults who are supposed to care for them. Child welfare failures aren’t unique to New Mexico — they exist in every state, driven by decades of structural gaps, misaligned federal and state law and systems ill-designed to keep pace with the complexity of the families they serve. I have always known that. And unlike some, I haven’t just talked about it.
When my administration recognized that CYFD needed bold, structural change, we acted. In January, I issued an executive order prohibiting the overnight placement of children in CYFD offices. The order directed the agency to work with partners to ensure every child is placed in a safe and appropriate setting. Overnight office stays ended on Feb. 12. Last summer, I directed CYFD to reform its approach to enforcing the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, requiring the state to immediately seek custody of newborns exposed to drugs. The program so far has resulted in 168 children removed from dangerous homes.
We’ve increased foster parent payments by 25%, putting more resources in the hands of the people doing one of the hardest and most important jobs in New Mexico. We’ve also extended foster care eligibility from 18 to 21, providing young adults, aging out of the system with housing support, behavioral health services, job assistance, and food access. And we continue to do more.
The Attorney General’s report is shocking but shock value doesn’t solve the problems, and our response is to keep doing the important daily work of keeping New Mexico’s children safe.
The Attorney General’s report outlines systemic failures within CYFD and has drawn statewide attention, raising questions about oversight, accountability, and the effectiveness of reforms already underway. The governor’s response frames the findings as reflective of past conditions while pointing to recent policy changes and administrative efforts aimed at improving outcomes for vulnerable children.
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