When it comes to our child welfare system, good news is hard to come by. But, rest assured solutions exist to improve outcomes for New Mexico's most vulnerable children and families impacted by CYFD. In 2018, 13 children and youth in foster care brought the "Kevin S." lawsuit against CYFD and HSD "to fix New Mexico’s broken foster care system,” alleging that “for years, New Mexico pushed its most vulnerable children through a broken foster care system as if they did not matter. The children who were plaintiffs in this case took a stand to hold accountable the system that failed to keep them safe." Unfortunately, this once “groundbreaking” promise to fix our broken foster care system has not been fulfilled, and our children and families continue to suffer.

As a former volunteer foster parent, I know just how broken our system actually is. I remember thinking that, as a substitute caregiver and empath, I would never want to contribute to a system that creates more harm and trauma to the children we set out to serve. But, in many instances, that's exactly what happens. A system intended to protect our most at-risk youth often causes more harm instead of helping them thrive. With the 60-day legislative session upon us, I wonder: is this the year that real change will happen?

Recently, I had the privilege to shadow UtahFosterCare – a nonprofit dedicated to "find, educate, and nurture Utah families to meet the needs of children in foster care. "Twenty-five years ago, the Utah child welfare system was in a similar place as NM finds itself today: a lawsuit, a settlement agreement, a workforce crisis, and a foster parent shortage. Utah’s Governor Leavitt did something transformative – he tried "a bold experiment" and together with the legislature, statutorily created a nonprofit to oversee foster parent recruitment, support, and training, which ensured that every child in care had a family-setting to call home.

This once "bold experiment" could prove to be a national model that New Mexico and other states, with too few foster placements, work to emulate.

Nationally, 1 in 3 foster families will quit within their first year of fostering. New Mexico has unique challenges that make it even harder. Quality foster parent recruitment and retention is the foundation of fixing our broken foster system and getting kids out of sleeping in state offices.

As we move forward with this legislative session, we must focus on proven solutions like this one. We must also:

• Pass the Office of the Child Advocate (or Ombudsman)
• Revise our overly-restrictive (and likely unconstitutional) confidentiality clause in the Children’s Code to protect children and families – not CYFD’s own negligence
• Fix CARA (Plans of Safe Care)

I asked UtahFosterCare how their organization has succeeded in never having a child stay overnight in state offices. They told me they have a culture of "get to yes." I also witnessed how deeply rooted their culture is in people, connection, and humans. Here in New Mexico, we must center our child-serving system around children and families.

For the next two months, remember that "solutions exist" and we owe it to our kids to "get to yes." 

This is the year to prioritize true system change. Fully fund. Prioritize. Hold accountable. Shine light. Collaborate. Don't be afraid to use words like bold, innovative and AUDACIOUS! Imagine what's possible. Solutions exist. We owe it to our kids, our families and our community to do better.

GET TO YES.

Maralyn Beck is a former foster parent, and the Founder of New Mexico Child First Network dedicated to improving the lives of kids in foster care and empowering those who support them.