Haaland Reaffirms Commitment to Overhaul CYFD

Albuquerque, N.M. – In light of recent news reports of CYFD dropping off a teenager alone at the border, Deb Haaland, the Democratic nominee for governor in New Mexico, doubled down on her plans to overhaul the department.

“The decision to send a child across the border alone is unacceptable. My heart breaks every time a child is harmed because of poor policy,” Haaland said. “Kids need to be kept safe and right now CYFD fails to meet that responsibility. On day one, I will overhaul CYFD. We will start from scratch with a secretary who has the right experience to serve our kids and move toward a system that provides consistent, high-quality care. On the staff level, I will ensure the department is equipped with the best team and is trained, supported, and ready to do the job.”

When elected, Haaland will: 

• Reform the culture within the CYFD by appointing an experienced cabinet secretary in the immediate term and over time transitioning to an independent commission; 
• Reduce burnout and turnover of CYFD staff;
• Empower and properly fund the Office of the Child Advocate;
• Improve juvenile courts by expanding court capacity to process heavy caseloads and reduce wait times for children’s court;
• Enhance data collection and foster parent recruitment processes to ensure no child falls through the cracks.

Deb Haaland is the only candidate running for Governor with the necessary experience to reorganize the department. She rebuilt the Department of Interior after the first Trump Administration gutted critical programs, and successfully managed a workforce of 70,000 staff and an $18 billion budget.