HOUSE FLOOR SUBSTITUTE FOR

HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 10

54th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2019

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE SECRETARY OF CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES TO CONVENE A CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES TASK FORCE TO RECOMMEND CHANGES FOR IMPROVING THE SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN IN THE CARE OF THE CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM BY IMPROVING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES DEPARTMENT AND RESOURCE FAMILIES, FOR BETTER SUPPORTING RESOURCE FAMILIES AND FOR COLLABORATIVELY WORKING TOWARD BETTER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF RESOURCE FAMILIES.

     WHEREAS, the child protective services division of the children, youth and families department serves the state's most vulnerable populations, who are children in need of the state's intervention and protection; and

     WHEREAS, resource families, which include foster families and families led by guardians and kinship caregivers, are families led by individuals who volunteer their time, energy and resources to provide a safe home for children in need of intervention and protection; and

     WHEREAS, stakeholders, including resource families, law enforcement, educational professionals and behavioral health and medical professionals, have identified numerous critical issues in the child protective services system that they want to be addressed and that need to be rectified in order to better promote the safety and security of children being cared for by resource parents; and

     WHEREAS, these stakeholders also seek to improve their relationship with the protective services division of the children, youth and families department; and

     WHEREAS, many resource parents report feeling disenfranchised by current rules and procedures; and

     WHEREAS, many populations of youth within the foster care system have specific needs that need to be addressed; and

     WHEREAS, the purpose of child protective services is to prevent reoccurring child abuse and traumatization of children in New Mexico;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the secretary of children, youth and families be requested to convene a child protective services task force to make recommendations to the children, youth and families department for improving the safety and well-being of children in the care of the child protective services system by improving the relationship between the children, youth and families department and resource families, for better supporting resource families and for collaboratively working toward better recruitment and retention of resource families; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force be requested to:

          A. recommend the implementation in all protective services division offices and programs throughout the state of uniform and consistent policies and procedures, and a plan to implement those policies and procedures to ensure that resource families are appropriately supported, recruited and retained;

          B. recommend measures to ensure that all children, youth and families department rules are made easily available to every resource family, as well as all interested stakeholders and members of the general public;

          C. recommend measures to ensure that current rules and procedures support New Mexicans who devote themselves to being resource families and streamline the foster care system to reduce bureaucratic burdens on resource families;

          D. review training, support and ongoing opportunities to retain resource families, to study resource family retention and to determine desired and needed training topics and best sources of support;

          E. analyze family reintegration policies, procedures and practices and recommend safeguards to create safe and lasting reintegration of families;

          F. study the benefits of placement stability to avoid multiple, disruptive placements; and

          G. identify better ways to recruit, support and retain resources that resource families and children and family service providers need to support the state's most vulnerable population; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the secretary of children, youth and families be requested to include the following participants in the task force:

          A. the director of the children's cabinet;

          B. the secretary of aging and long-term services;

          C. two foster parents;

          D. a guardian of a child;

          E. two kinship caregivers;

          F. a licensed medical physical health expert;

          G. a licensed behavioral health expert;

          H. an expert representative of law enforcement;

          I. a classified children, youth and families department employee;

          J. a family reintegration expert; and

          K. a children's court improvement commission representative; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the secretary of children, youth and families be requested to invite to participate in discussions of the child protective services task force as appropriate:

          A. a child care services or other children's service provider;

          B. a court-appointed special advocate;

          C. an expert in education;

          D. an expert from a nonprofit children's advocacy organization;

          E. a representative of a sexual minority community;

          F. a representative of a gender minority community;

          G. an expert on the federal Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978; and

          H. other stakeholders whose expertise the secretary of children, youth and families deems necessary to the work of the child protective services task force; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that findings and recommendations of the task force be presented to the legislative health and human services committee by October 1, 2020; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor, the chair of the legislative health and human services committee, the secretary of children, youth and families, the co-chairs of the children's court improvement commission, the director of the child protective services division of the children, youth and families department and the director of the children's cabinet.

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