Child Welfare

New Mexico ranked 50th for child well-being in national report

234 Views   ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The 2024 Kids Count report was just released, and it measures each state’s child well-being through four key areas: economic well-being, education, health, and family and community. New Mexico came in dead last out of all 50 states when they compared these categories with the

Death lawsuit filed against CYFD for 1-month-old infant

461 Views   LOS LUNAS, N.M. — The New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department now faces a lawsuit stemming from a 2021 infant death in Los Lunas. The death of 1-month-old Waylon Padilla was ruled a homicide by police during its investigation. This led to mother Kiria Milton facing a charge of

Child abuse settlements in New Mexico are going unreported

488 Views   Big settlements made by the state are going unreported, some of which involve topics like child abuse. The Sunshine Portal was created when Gov. Lujan Grisham first got into office to show transparency and accountability for the New Mexico state government. But recently, people have noticed large settlements have fallen

Are CYFD decision making tools being used correctly?

496 Views   ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — When CYFD pursues a report of child abuse, a caseworker interviews the child and conducts a home visit. During the process, they use a structured decision-making model, also known as a decision tool, to help determine if the child is at risk.

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