Bipartisan bill would create outside agency to oversee CYFD in New Mexico
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Years of trying to reform the New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department now have lawmakers pushing for outside oversight. Now, a new bill getting bipartisan support could make for CYFD's first watchdog agency.
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Lawmakers said their ultimate goal is to make the Children Youth and Families Department more transparent and accountable. To do that they want to give the proposed outside agency investigative power and more.'I think that many legislators can agree that the system can not get any worse and the time to act is now because the consequences really are deadly,' said Sen. Crystal Brantley (R-Elephant Butte).
They're aiming to finally reform CYFD in a bipartisan effort. Two senators, including Sen. Brantley and Democrat Katy Duhigg, are two main sponsors on a bill to make New Mexico's first Office of the Child Ombud which would be an independent group that would watch over CYFD.
'The Ombud will be that problem solver who they can go to, who can address what's happening, look at the conflict, help come up with solutions, and help bring everyone together in a way that's going to have the best possible outcome for our families in New Mexico,' said Sen. Katy Duhigg, (D-Albuquerque).
Under the proposal, starting in July, a nine-member committee would appoint an ombud to serve a six-year term. The committee making that pick would be split between lawmakers and the governor, filled with experts in foster care and New Mexico child welfare law.
'We've had a lot of change in CYFD secretaries over the last couple of years and I think all of us wanted to give them a chance to do this incredibly hard job, I think it's probably one of the hardest jobs in state government, but at the same time there are kids at risk here,' said Sen. Duhigg.
The bill requires the ombud to collect and investigate complaints against CYFD, even giving them subpoena power. The ombud would review and suggest changes to state policy, make annual reports, and publish stats on the number of kids in the state foster system. 'I think because we've hit rock bottom, we can't get worse in the state of New Mexico, we have to address child welfare and the well-being of our children now,' said Sen. Brantley.
The governor hasn't directly expressed her support for this bill yet but said in her State of the State address that she wanted lawmakers to make an outside agency that would review complaints against CYFD. Although the bill has not been heard in committee yet, Rep. Brantley said more than 30 senators have shown support for the bill after it was introduced.
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