SENATE MEMORIAL 123

53rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2017

INTRODUCED BY

Richard C. Martinez

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO SUPPORT FEDERAL LEGISLATION TO STRENGTHEN FAMILIES AND TO KEEP MORE CHILDREN IN SAFE HOMES AND OUT OF FOSTER CARE.

     WHEREAS, children are the most vulnerable members of society and deserve to be loved, protected and nurtured; and

     WHEREAS, the Annie E. Casey foundation's annual KIDS COUNT report ranked New Mexico either last or next to last among the fifty states in child well-being; and

     WHEREAS, on any given day, two thousand five hundred children need foster care in New Mexico, according the children, youth and families department; and

     WHEREAS, while foster care fills a vital role, families can be strengthened by keeping children out of foster care and placing them in the least-restrictive, most family-like setting appropriate to their needs and by reducing inappropriate group home placements; and

     WHEREAS, lawmakers are looking for ways to protect children by focusing on the root of the problem and directing resources to preventive services; and

     WHEREAS, in June 2016, House Resolution 5456, the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016, was introduced in the United States congress with bipartisan support; and

     WHEREAS, the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016 strengthens families and reduces inappropriate foster care placements by:

          A. giving states flexibility to use federal foster care dollars to provide up-front, evidence-based prevention services, such as parent training and individual and family therapy, to prevent inappropriate foster care placements and improve outcomes for children and parents;

          B. ensuring that more foster children are placed with families by ending federal reimbursement when states inappropriately place children in non-family settings, such as group homes or congregate facilities;

          C. keeping children safe by reauthorizing the regional partnership grant program, which provides funding to state and local evidence-based services aimed at preventing child abuse and child neglect due to parental substance abuse;

          D. reducing the amount of time foster children wait to be adopted or placed with relatives or foster parents across state lines by encouraging states to replace their outdated child placement systems with a more efficient electronic system; and

          E. supporting family members who unexpectedly assume responsibility for a child by providing important caregiver resources and eliminating unnecessary paperwork; and

     WHEREAS, the congressional budget office preliminarily estimates that the cost of up-front prevention services to strengthen families would be more than fully offset by reducing inappropriate group home placements and the short delay in providing additional funding to states for adoption assistance to allow the United States government accountability office review to be completed; and

     WHEREAS, over the long term, providing evidence-based prevention services has been shown to reduce the need for costly, long-term foster care and to improve outcomes for children and families;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that New Mexico's congressional delegation be requested to support House Resolution 5456, the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016, for the benefit of New Mexico children and families; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to members of the New Mexico congressional delegation.

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