Contact: Erika Martinez
(505)986-4819
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 15, 2014
Senator/Former CYFD Professional Responds to Governor’s Take on CYFD Issues
Santa Fe — The recent death of 9-year-old Omaree Varela of Albuquerque, caused by the abuse of his mother, has put a spotlight on the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD). Although Governor Susana Martinez has publically blamed staff shortage due to lack of funding for not following up on the victim’s case when abuse was reported around a year ago to school officials, legislators argue that was not exactly the case.
In the last fiscal year $60 million dollars were returned to the general fund by executive agencies, most of which was allocated for personnel funding of state employees. Currently, there are 120 vacancies in the Protective Services Division of CYFD according to a Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) report. About half of those positions were fully funded, which means an additional 60 employees would have resulted in caseloads being spread out more evenly amongst case workers.
“CYFD returned $6.6 million to the state’s general fund last fiscal year. I cannot think of a reasonable explanation why an agency that is so obviously short-staffed yet so crucial to child protection and safety would not spend such a large amount of money to improve desperately needed services,” said Senate Majority Floor Leader Michael Sanchez (D-29-Bernalillo & Valencia).
According to the governor, there have been 300 employees hired under her administration, but what she fails to comment on is the turnover rate, which just about cancels that figure out. According to Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino (D-12-Bernalillo), a former CYFD employee and social worker with over 40 years of experience in the field, there are several factors that come into play. “If you create an environment where employees feel they are not being respected or supported, they won’t stay,” said, Sen. Ortiz y Pino. “Employees are not being provided adequate support and supervisors who should be providing that support are working on cases because the load is too heavy for the staff.” Sen. Ortiz y Pino said that CYFD training and supervision is especially important considering the fact the CYFD is now hiring non-social workers to take on these very sensitive cases.
“The money for hiring and raises was available,” he added. “But you can offer all the money you want and if employees are not being properly taken care of, it’s not always going to keep them around.”
Governor Martinez has said that she would like the legislature to consider passing a bill to give CYFD the authority to take children out of abusive homes. But according to Ortiz y Pino, that is not necessary. “They already have the legal authority they need to work with police to take kids out of these abusive situations. Their (CYFD) choice to return Omaree Varela to his mother instead of leaving him with his relatives in Arizona was just a bad decision,” he said.
For the upcoming session, Ortiz y Pino said the Governor is likely to speak about implementing harsher punishments for those who are responsible for the death of a child as a result of abuse. But he believes harsher penalties will not prevent abuse. “You can’t prosecute your way into prevention,” he said. “No one is focusing on the issue at hand.”
Senators Michael Padilla (D-14-Bernalillo) and Linda Lopez (D-11-Bernalillo) have pre-filed Senate Joint Memorial 3 (SJM3), requesting that CYFD report to the Interim Health and Human Services Committee on issues related to foster care. To view SJM3, click here.
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