91°µÍø

The Kevin S. lawsuit , originally brought by 14 foster children against the state of New Mexico, has been settled for almost five years. But even with corrective plans, change has stalled out.

Yesterday we heard about the origins of the Children, Youth, and Families Department, and the state’s decades of struggle to provide care for New Mexico’s most vulnerable children. CYFD improved for a time under a consent decree. But advocates say since then those gains have gone away. 91°µÍø picks up the story in the second part of a series.

A new agreement has been reached, designed to improve the performance of the Children, Youth and Families Department and the Human Services Department, especially with respect to foster care.

Let's Talk New Mexico, 4/27/23: Three years ago, the state promised to stop housing foster youth in offices and youth shelters that don't have the necessary mental healthcare resources. However, a recent reporting series found that these practices are still going on amongst many other challenges. , we’ll take a look at the current standing of our child welfare system and what it will take to ensure foster youth are finding supportive placements, while working to comply with the Kevin S. lawsuit.