Albuquerque, NM (KKOB) –For several years, CYFD has failed to meet targets for increasing the number of nonrelative foster homes. On Tuesday the state Children, Youth and Families Department provided an update regarding its compliance with a 6-year-old legal settlement aimed at improving conditions for children in state custody. This year, however, it met an interim 2026 goal by recruiting and licensing 73 new families by July 1st. The state also met its target of placing at least 50 abused or neglected children in its new Foster Care Plus program, which is designed for children who need more specialized treatment and care. However, CYFD fell short of its goal of ensuring that 50% of caseworkers had lower caseloads. Only about 30% met caseload standards.
