Santa Fe, NM –On Tuesday, December 22, Governor Susana Martinez appointed current Tourism Cabinet Secretary, Monique Jacobson, as her choice to be the next secretary of the Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD). Senator Michael Padilla (D-14-Bernalillo), who grew up in foster care and who is a strong advocate of CYFD reform, stated, “The Governor’s pick to lead CYFD has no experience in this critical area. CYFD demands a leader that has specific training in social work, early education, and assisting families in crisis.”
“As someone who has personal experience with the system, I can’t imagine why the Governor would make such a reckless decision in appointing someone who has no expertise in the area, especially considering New Mexico’s current low ranking in child welfare,” he added.
Sen. Padilla’s reaction comes partly in response to the past year following the exposure of several high-profile deaths of children served by the department. As a result, Sen. Padilla has championed multiple efforts to reform CYFD, including the passage of landmark legislation that calls for an intense review of CYFD, the production of a report citing 27 data points related to the department’s performance, and a set of recommendations on needed improvements.
“I am disappointed that the Governor’s staff has not delivered the report. By law, CYFD had seven months to produce it. That deadline passed in November and we have still seen nothing,” said Sen. Padilla. “On top of their lack of follow-through, we now have to be prepared to deal with another state department being spearheaded by a political appointee of the Governor who has no experience in the field.”
Although Sen. Padilla is wary of the new appointment, he said he is still going to continue advocating for reform in the department. He requested a meeting with the current CYFD cabinet secretary to work on legislation to help improve the department.