The new Children, Youth and Families Department Policy Advisory Council held its first meeting Thursday at Roundhouse.
The Council was created through an Executive Order by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to overhaul the troubled agency.
In her Executive Order signed in February, Lujan Grisham established the council to find ways to fix the problems at CYFD and then maintain a high quality of services for children and families in the most need in New Mexico.
The seven member committee includes representatives of service providers, foster care, youth advocacy, attorneys, behavioral health providers, and family members with CYFD experience.
Acting Secretary Teresa Casados says she wants to start with a focus on workforce development and finding more foster families, but will let the rest of the Council look into anything they want to find possible solutions. She says it will be a statewide effort.
“I truly believe that with the help of the public, the advocates, the legislature, the department employees, every single person is critical in making this system successful,” she said. “I know without any doubt that what everybody here today wants is a successful system that works for the kids of New Mexico.”
The matters the Council will be digging into as soon as possible includes hiring a director for the newly created Office of Innovation which will search for best practices and better outcome ideas from other states.
There is no end date on the Executive Order so the Council is expected to release recommendations when they see fit including any proposed legislation if needed.
