CYFD gets big f inancial boost from Legislature
Session resulted in appropriation of more than $33 million for 2019
The state Children, Youth and Families Department experienced “the most successful session in the history of the agency in terms of financial support,” CYFD Cabinet Secretary Monique Jacobson told the Journal during a recent interview.
But some CYFD-supported pieces of legislation that would have compelled accountability disappointingly did not pass, she said.
The short session resulted in a 2019 fiscal year appropriation for CYFD of more than $33 million, not including an additional $20 million for construction of a new center for Child Protective Service.
By far, the biggest chunk of money, $25million, was allocated for early child care services. These include the Child Care Assistance Program, which subsidizes the cost of child care for low-income families.
“Over the last four years, we had 4,000 more children receiving child-care assistance and more than 2,000 of them in highquality child-care settings” as determined by CYFD’s star rating system, she said.
Early pre-K programs received an infusion of $2.5 million, and home visiting programs got $1.5 million.
“Home visiting allows us to hone in on the earliest years and helps us not just with the children, but the parents, too,” Jacobson said. “It strengthens the quality of the relationship between the parent and the child.”
About $250,000 was allocated to cover start-up costs for a Medicaid home visiting pilot program. Money for home visiting programs now comes from the general fund, but if the state can create an evidence-based program, “then Medicaid could become a primary source of funding for home visiting programs in the future,” Jacobson said.
Between 25 and 30 additional field workers in the Child Protective Services division will be hired thanks to an allocation of $1.46 million. There are currently 446 field workers doing investigations, placements, and family reunifications and adoptions. The money will also help in continuing to reduce the division’s vacancy rate, which has been cut from 24 percent three years ago to 10 percent today, Jacobson said.
As a further incentive, and to recognize the difficulty of the work they do, the Legislature allocated $432,100 to Child Protective Services to be used for raises for investigators and other division employees. While all state employees got a 2 percent raise, this allocation provides an additional 2.5 percent.
“This will continue to help our annual turnover, which we have reduced from 33 percent to 24 percent,” over the past three years, she said.
The Legislature also approved $20 million from a state bond issue for CYFD to purchase or renovate a building to house all of Albuquerque Protective Services workers. The building will house 24-hour operations, including central statewide intake, information technology and a receiving center and visitation area for children who come into custody while waiting for placement, and families working toward reunification.
While pleased with the amount of money CYFD received, Jacobson said she was disappointed that a number of pieces of legislation did not get passed, including one bill that would have increased penalties for a host of crimes against children, and another that would have increased penalties for battery against a CYFD employee.
Jacobson noted that a number of years ago, the Legislature increased penalties for assault against a referee or other sports official.
“We believe our field workers, who go into incredibly dangerous situations, should have that same layer of protection,” she said.
Another unsuccessful bill would have provided judges an additional sentencing option. Prior to turning 21, a kid in the juvenile justice system would be re-evaluated and go back before a judge to determine if that individual needed additional treatment, supervision or incarceration through the adult system.
There was “huge push-back” from some legislators, Jacobson said, because they thought it would result in too many kids going to prison.
“I thought the legislation did a good job balancing the need for public safety with incentivizing these young people who are incarcerated to participate in rehabilitation programming and keep them accountable,” she said.
HOME VISITING ALLOWS US TO HONE IN ON THE EARLIEST YEARS AND HELPS US NOT JUST WITH THE CHILDREN, BUT THE PARENTS, TOO. MONIQUE JACOBSON CYFD CABINET SECRETARY