Marilyn Beck, executive director of the New Mexico Child First Network, testified at a legislative committee hearing about six child maltreatment fatalities under the oversight of the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD). She said that she drove more than 120 miles to provide her testimony.
"The secretary doesn't know how many children have died," said Marilyn Beck. "If it is safe to place, it is safe to pay. This is not a media perception problem—this is a deadly virus in a corrupt agency that is threatening the lives of our children."
In April 2025, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced a formal investigation into CYFD following the suicide of 16-year-old Jaydun Garcia while in state custody. The investigation addresses multiple issues, including children being improperly housed in CYFD offices and congregate care facilities, as well as failures to protect vulnerable youth. Torrez emphasized that comprehensive legal and systemic changes might be necessary due to the state's consistent failure to protect its most vulnerable children.
On May 16, 2025, another tragedy occurred when 17-year-old Makamy Sage Anderson died by suicide while under CYFD's supervision. According to Beck, her death highlighted chronic workforce and placement shortages within CYFD. Anderson's caseworker had sought mental health resources for her, but it remains unclear if any assistance was provided. Beck described Anderson's death as part of "a vicious cycle harming foster youth."
An incident involving an 18-month-old toddler who died following a failed trial home placement has further fueled outrage among child welfare advocates and lawmakers. The child's mother now faces felony charges related to the death. This marks the sixth child fatality connected to families under CYFD oversight within four months. Beck declared that "every single one of these deaths was preventable," stressing the urgent need for structural reform and accountability.
Lawmakers have criticized CYFD’s use of "safety plans" that returned infants to parents with minimal supervision despite known drug use by parents. In one case, a 4-month-old baby died after being placed under such a plan where a grandmother was expected to check in three times daily—a protocol criticized as inadequate and negligent. These failures have led to policy changes within CYFD aimed at tightening enforcement and oversight of safety plans.
Beck is also the founder and executive director of New Mexico Child First Network, which is dedicated to improving foster care for children and supporting caregivers in the state. A former single foster parent herself, she has cared for over 39 children ranging from newborns to teens and has held roles in government, education, and advocacy.
