August 20 – When the Department of Children, Youth and Families cannot find shelter for children, the children often sleep in the agency’s office.
In June, that happened 35 times, according to CYFD data, 15 times more than in June last year.
To address the problem, which has long plagued the agency, CYFD recently opened a new “multiservice home” in Albuquerque with the nonprofit AMIkids for At-Risk Youth Rehabilitation, which is designed to give boys ages 12 to 17 a place to stay instead of offices. Five youths are currently in the home, with two more in treatment, said department spokesman Andrew Skobinsky.
CYFD has another group home for girls in the works. But running counter to CYFD’s goal of finding a better option for children in its care than office stays is research recently presented to lawmakers by staff from the Legislative Finance Committee suggesting that congregate care settings can put young people at greater risk for bigger problems like homelessness, incarceration and substance abuse.
“The federal government will no longer fund group homes. They see it as potentially harmful and not a best practice,” LFC Deputy Director Jon Courtney told lawmakers last week during a hearing of the Legislative Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee.
Medicaid only covers medically necessary stays at certain locations, such as licensed group homes that meet certain requirements for providing behavioral health services, a recent LFC report said. CYFD’s group home does not qualify for Medicaid, the report added.
In an interview, CYFD Cabinet Secretary Teresa Casados said the department used some federal pandemic relief dollars to get the shelter off the ground. But for day-to-day costs, she said, the department has used state dollars.
According to the LFC report, CYFD used a statutory appropriation originally set aside for the home in 2022. That falls outside the original intent of those dollars, LFC staff noted, which were intended for start-up costs for behavioral health providers who could then bill Medicaid for services.
Casados defended placing foster children in such homes, though she noted that placing them with families in stable homes is the best option. But CYFD has been unable to find such settings for many of these youth, she said — meaning the other option is office quarters.
“They’re going on outings, they’re going to the library, they’re going on hikes, they’re going to museums. Some of them had jobs this summer. They have the ability to have virtual visits with a therapist. They’re in school,” she said. “Is that environment more damaging to young people than someone who’s in our office every day?”
The home offers services such as therapy, educational support, basic medical care and health care coordination, according to a June news release. Youth at the home can earn a GED or high school diploma and have access to sports facilities such as basketball courts, the news release added.
“We are grateful to be able to offer such a range of supportive services to youth in need of guardianship who cannot be placed with foster parents right away,” said Kathryn Fleming, executive director of AMIkids, in the press release. “While AMIkids is still a sanctuary of last resort, it will provide the best possible solution for all of our residents.”
The LFC report cites findings from the University of Chicago’s Chapin Hall, which studies child welfare, showing that states often turn to congregate care settings when they need to place children in an emergency situation or when youth have complex behavioral needs and it is difficult to find a family for them.
To prevent states from relying on congregate care, Chapin Hall recommends that states build up the number of foster homes. But the number of foster homes in New Mexico has remained flat over the past year, ranging from 936 to 1,016, according to CYFD data.
Rep. Willie Madrid, D-Chaparral, who said in an interview that he was adopted as a child, called the state’s use of group homes a temporary fix that doesn’t address the long-term problems.
“It’s like a sticking plaster, if you ask me. It doesn’t address the real problems,” Madrid said.
Esteban Candelaria is a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. He writes about child welfare and the state Department of Children, Youth and Families. To learn more about Report for America, visit reportforamerica.org.
