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Progress and Impact Report 2019-2021 [New Mexico].
New Mexico. Children, Youth, and Families Department.
State Resource
Technical Report
45 p.
Public Domain
Published: 2021
New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department
1120 Paseo de Peralta
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Tel: 505-827-7602
Available From:https://cyfd.org/
Download: https://cyfd.org/docs/CYFD-2019-2021-progressreport-FINAL.pdf
This report describes the change and advancements the New Mexico Children, Youth, and Family Department (CYFD) has made between January 2019 and June 2021, examines the impact this work has had on children, youth, and families, and explains why these activities are important. It begins by reviewing the strategic planning process and key priorities, and describing the four pillars of the Strategic Plan Foundation: more appropriate placements, prevention, optimization, and staffing. Progress made in key areas is reviewed, including: increasing safety and eliminating the investigation backlog; expanding prevention programs and services; improving access to community-based mental health services; identifying the right placement at the right time; partnering with tribes and enhancing relationships with tribal leaders; supporting older youth; and helping families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report notes that in January 2019, 3,579 (63%) of the 5,668 pending child abuse and neglect investigations were considered overdue and pending for 45 days or more, and that within two years these point-in-time numbers dropped to 97 (5%) overdue investigations of the 1,864 pending investigations in July 2021. In addition, the report shares statistics that indicate there were 39,324 statewide reports of abuse and neglect in FY 2021, resulting in 19,013 accepted reports to be investigated. Of the 19,013 investigated cases, 4,624 (24.3%) were substantiated and 14,389 (75.7%) were unsubstantiated. Strategies the CYFD are using to optimize technology, accountability, and funding sources are reviewed, as well as efforts to build a strong workforce through improved training, support, and professional opportunities for advancement. The report closes with a description of planned ongoing efforts to ensure that progress is continuous in the areas of child welfare and juvenile justice reforms.
Keywords:
New Mexico; Adoption services; Youth services; Child protective services; Foster care; Child welfare services; Program improvement; State programs; State agencies; Strategic planning; COVID-19; State disaster response; Statistics; Outcomes; Data analysis