ONCE AGAIN, HERE’S JOHN CARDINALE. THIS IS A BAG OF TOYS THAT I TAKE WITH ME EVERYWHERE. FOR AMBER LOWE, THIS IS JUST SOME DINOSAURS THAT I KEEP OF HIS. HER BAG OF TOYS IS THERAPY STICK. EARLIER, WE TOLD YOU ABOUT HER NEPHEW, JAMES DUNKLEY. CRUZ JUST REMINDS ME THAT I HAVE A PIECE OF HIM WITH ME BECAUSE I WASN’T HERE WHEN HE PASSED A FOUR YEAR OLD BOY WHO WAS BEATEN TO DEATH BY HIS MOTHER’S ROOMMATE. I’M GOING TO KEEP THEM FOREVER BECAUSE THEY WERE HIS. ACCORDING TO THIS LAWSUIT, CYFD HAD NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES TO REMOVE JAMES FROM HIS HOME, BUT DIDN’T. AMBER SAYS THE AGENCY NEEDS AN OVERHAUL. I DO BELIEVE THAT IT NEEDS TO BE COMPLETELY REBUILT FROM THE GROUND UP. THEY NEED TO GET RID OF EVERYBODY AND START FRESH. JAMES’S GRANDFATHER, KEVIN NELSON, FEELS THE SAME. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE BE DONE WITH CYFD? I’D LIKE TO SEE THE WHOLE PLACE BURNED DOWN AND REBUILT. HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IT BE REBUILT? WELL, BETTER CHECKS AND BALANCES. NUMBER ONE, MAKE SURE EVERYBODY’S DOING THEIR JOB AND THEY’RE ALL ON BOARD FROM THE SECRETARY ON DOWN, EVERYBODY GETS DOUBLE CHECKED. THAT IDEA WAS ONE OF 30 BILLS THAT WERE PROPOSED IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT WOULD HAVE DIRECTLY IMPACTED CYFD LAWMAKERS WANTED TO CREATE AN OMBUDSMAN IN THAT IS A PERSON WHO INDEPENDENTLY INVESTIGATES COMPLAINTS AND TRIES TO RESOLVE THEM. THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE. AG RAUL TORRES SUPPORTED THE IDEA. THERE ISN’T A LOT OF PUBLIC CONFIDENCE AT THIS POINT THAT THE KIND OF INSTITUTION CHANGE THAT WE NEED TO PROTECT KIDS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT. THE BILL DIED, BUT TORRES BELIEVES HIS OFFICE CAN STILL DO SOMETHING. HE WOULD LIKE TO FORM A CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION IN HIS OFFICE THAT COULD PURSUE LEGAL ACTION AGAINST CYFD. IF IT FAILS. THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF A CHILD WERE VIOLATED. LITIGATION IS IS SOMETIMES A NECESSARY TOOL TO BRING ABOUT THE KIND OF SYSTEM INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE THAT I THINK CYFD DESPERATELY NEEDS. 29 OTHER BILLS ALSO DIED IN THE ROUNDHOUSE THAT WOULD HAVE IMPACTED. SEE VFD BILLS THAT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY. WHEN A CHILD DIES. INCREASING REIMBURSEMENT RATES FOR FOSTER PARENTS. AND LIKE WE TOLD YOU EARLIER, CHANGING THE LAW THAT PROHIBITS A BABY BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM A DRUG ADDICTED MOTHER WHEN THEY’RE BORN. WE ASKED LAWMAKERS ON BOTH SIDES WHY THE BILLS FAILED. WHY DIDN’T THEY PASS? THEY JUST NEVER GOT THROUGH ALL THE COMMITTEES AND TO THE FLOORS AT THE APPROPRIATE AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME. PART OF IT WAS THEY HAD HEARD THAT THERE WAS SOME OPPOSITION FROM THE GOVERNOR AND LIKE, SAY, ONCE THEY PASSED, THAT IS HER PRIORITY, HER PREROGATIVE, SHE GETS TO VETO OR SHE GETS TO SIGN IT. THAT’S NOT MY JOB. AS THESE BILLS WERE DEBATED, THE GOVERNOR HELD THIS NEWS CONFERENCE DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. WE’RE ANNOUNCING TODAY THAT WE ARE GOING TO IMPLEMENT THE STRATEGIES FOR TRANSFORMATION FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES DEPARTMENT. SHE ANNOUNCED THAT SHE WAS GOING TO SIGN AN EXECUTIVE ORDER TO REVAMP THE AGENCY. WE HAVE PROBLEMS IN THE INTERIM THAT ARE UNTENABLE. THE ORDER CREATED A POLICY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AN INNOVATION OFFICE AND NEW LEADERSHIP TEAMS. SHE ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT SHE WAS GOING TO HIRE AN INDEPENDENT FIRM TO LOOK AT THE AGENCY’S COMPLIANCE AND PROGRESS. TARGET 7 WAS THERE. IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER IS ASKING FOR A CONTRACT WITH AN INDEPENDENT FIRM OUT OF THE STATE. HOW OFTEN WILL YOU BE WORKING WITH THAT FIRM? IS THERE A ROLE TO HOLD THE DEPARTMENT ACCOUNTABLE? NO, THAT’S MY JOB. AND THEN HERE’S WHO HOLDS ME ACCOUNTABLE THE PUBLIC AND THE PUBLIC’S REPRESENTATIVES IN THE LEGISLATURE. IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR INVESTIGATION, CABINET SECRETARY BARBARA VIGIL ANNOUNCED SHE WAS STEPPING DOWN AND NOW THE GOVERNOR IS TRYING TO FIND HER THIRD CYFD SECRETARY. IN THE MEANTIME, THE STATE’S CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, TERESA CASADO, IS TAKING OVER. AND WE CAUGHT UP WITH HER ABOUT WHAT SHE’S DOING TO FIX THE AGENCY. IT’S AN INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT JOB. AND FROM WHAT I’VE BEEN ABLE TO GATHER SINCE COMING ON BOARD A LITTLE OVER A WEEK AGO, IS THAT WE DON’T HAVE A GOOD RETENTION RATE FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES. I THINK THERE’S A LOT OF BURNOUT FOR THEM. SHE SAYS THE AGENCY IS STREAMLINE REIMBURSEMENT TO FOSTER PARENTS. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE LAWS SOME SAY WOULD FIX CYFD SHOULD MORE HAVE BEEN DONE? THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION? I DON’T BELIEVE SO. YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE WERE HAVING CONVERSATIONS, BIPARTISAN CONVERSATIONS, AND I THINK THAT’S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. SO THERE HAVE BEEN NINE DEATHS DUE TO THE CARE ACT SLASH POLICY. DOES CARA NEED TO BE CHANGED? I DON’T KNOW NECESSARILY IF CARA NEEDS TO BE CHANGED OR IF WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK INTERNALLY AND SEE IF THERE ARE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT WE CAN STRENGTHEN. TARGET 7 FOUND NUMEROUS RESEARCH ARTICLES THAT SHOW CHILDREN DO BETTER WHEN RAISED BY THEIR FAMILIES, AND WE LEARNED THAT RESEARCH HAS GUIDED THE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE BY CYFD FOR YEARS AS THE FUNDAMENTAL BELIEF OF OF, YOU KNOW, OF PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE. IF YOU DIG DOWN INTO IT, THAT PARENTS HAVE A RIGHT TO PARENT. BUT DESPITE THAT PHILOSOPHY DURING OUR INVESTIGATION, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT EVERYONE AGREES OUR STATE HAS BROKEN A PROMISE THAT WAS WRITTEN INTO LAW THAT SAYS THE SAFETY OF A CHILD SHOULD COME FIRST. THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY OF THAT DEPARTMENT IS PROTECTING CHILDREN AND IMPROVING THEIR WELL-BEING. THAT IS NOT WHAT IS OCCURRING IN THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO. WE’VE GOT A SYSTEM THAT IS TOO FAR TILTED TOWARDS THIS NOTION THAT REUNIFICATION AT ALL COSTS, THEY’LL BE RETURNED TO BIOLOGICAL FAMILY AT ALL COSTS. WE ARE REUNIFICATION FIRST STATE FAMILIES, TIGHT AND BLOOD RUNS THICKER THAN WATER. BUT IF AND WHEN THE DEPARTMENT FIGURES OUT ITS PROBLEMS AND PRIORITIES, IT’S TOO LATE FOR SOME. JAMES IS STILL GONE. I MEAN, JAMES WILL NEVER KNOW THAT JUSTICE WAS DONE. THERE ARE STILL CHILDREN WHO DIED TO A SYSTEM WITH BROKEN PROMISES. THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT JAMES HAD DONE WHEN HE WAS LIVING HERE FOR KEVIN NELSON. ALL HE HAS LEFT TO REMEMBER HIS GRANDSON JAMES, OR HIS TOYS AND THIS DRAWING, AFTER HE PASSED, I JUST DIDN’T HAVE THE HEART TO TAKE IT DOWN. AND IT’S BEEN UP THERE EVER SINCE. IT’S NEVER MOVED. IT’S KIND OF FADED OVER TIME. AND WHILE THE PAIN OF A TRAGIC DEATH WILL FADE WITH TIME AND IT’LL STAY UP THERE FOREVER, NELSON HAS MADE A PROMISE TO JAMES. HE SAYS IT WILL NEVER BE BROKEN, OR WHEN. WHEN MY LIFE IS DONE, I CAN AT LEAST GO FIND HIM AND TELL HIM WE GOT THOSE RESPONSIBLE. YOU KNOW,