Press Releases
NM Supreme Court provides legal framework for resuming in-person family visits in abuse and neglect cases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 05.22.2020 Administrative Office of the Courts SANTA FE — The state Supreme Court has established legal guidelines for resuming in-person visits between children in state custody and their biological parents or guardians. Under an order...
Juvenile Justice COVID-19 Report
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 05.08.2020 During the COVID crisis and beyond, the safety of detained and committed young people is one of CYFD’s utmost priorities. Through decades of juvenile justice reform New Mexico has reduced the juvenile justice population significantly...
State of New Mexico feeding thousands of children, seniors, tribal members during pandemic
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 05.06.2020 SANTA FE — State government agencies have delivered more than 5.4 million meals to children and youth, more than 293,000 meals to seniors and, separately, more than 400,000 pounds of food items to those communities most in need...
CYFD Increases Financial Support to Children and Youth in Foster Care as Pandemic “Stay at Home” Orders Continue
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 05.06.2020 SANTA FE — New Mexico’s Children, Youth & Families Department has authorized additional monetary support to go to each child in foster care for the duration of the “stay at home” orders. An additional $175 per month is being added...
New Mexico Unveils App for Behavioral Health Support
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 04.14.2020 SANTA FE — The state of New Mexico has launched NMConnect, a new phone app that provides free 24-hour crisis and non-crisis support and access to behavioral health professionals who can text or talk via phone with individuals needing a...
Secretary of CYFD Weighs in on Challenges Facing Foster Care in the Age of COVID-19
By MK Mendoza, Santa Fe Public Radio 04.13.2020 State Secretary of Children, Youth and Families Brian Blalock weighs in on the difficulties foster children face during the pandemic of COVID-19. Take a listen here.
New Mexico Early Childhood Funders Group Launches Emergency Response Grants Program
For Immediate Release: Matt Bieber, Director of CommunicationsEarly Childhood Education Care Department 04.10.2020 SANTA FE - Today, Early Childhood Education and Care Department Secretary Elizabeth Groginsky announced the launch of a new grant program designed to...
New Mexico Supreme Court Suspends In-Person CYFD Family Visits for 30 Days in Response To COVID-19 Outbreak
For Immediate Release: Melody Wells, Public Information Officer 03.27.2020SANTA FE -- The Children, Youth & Families Department announced Friday that it will begin facilitating court-ordered family visits for children who are in foster care through video and...
State of New Mexico reaches innovative settlement agreement with foster youth and child advocates
03.26.2020 N.M. to develop a trauma-responsive system for children in state custody and expand their commitment to Native youth ALBUQUERQUE — The State of New Mexico’s Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) and Human Services Department (HSD) have reached an...
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Fact Sheet
By Charlie Moore-Pabst, Deputy Public Information Officer 03.20.2020 CYFD has worked with DOH to develop a fact sheet that is meant to be distributed to our clients, partners—anyone you work with who needs information specific to the coronavirus outbreak as it...