The Children, Youth, and Families Department recently decided to allow children in state custody to keep federal benefits owed to them, instead of using those payments to support foster care.
The decision to allow children in CYFD custody to retain their federal payments like Supplemental Security Income benefits is unprecedented and one where New Mexico could be leading the way nationally.
Secretary Teresa Casados said this is a new concept for the department and they’re still in the process of figuring out what policies need to be put in place and how children will access this money in the future.
"There will be lots of conversation about what that should look like as we roll it out and then we’ll put policies and procedures in place at the agency," said Casados.
Casados said the agency is doing a lot for kids ages 18-21 through their Fostering Connections program that makes sure they have a stable foundation in order to be out in the world and this decision will be part of that.
"We’ll really look at financial literacy for those kids and ensure that’s part of what they learn to make the right decisions when they’re handed a lump sum of money upon exiting the system" Casados said.
The agency is currently in its budget planning process and will be taking a look at how much they have spent in past years in order to request additional funding to make up for the loss of funding.
