About 41% Of Youth In New Mexico CYFD Custody Are Placed In Short-Term Foster Care, At A Higher Rate Than The National Average

About 40.9% of youth in custody of the New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD) are placed in foster care for less than 30 days, or “short-term placement.” This is the highest rate of short-term placement in the United States, and is significantly higher than national average of about 8.7%. A key cause of short-term placements is that New Mexico grants law enforcement sole authority to remove a child form the home, based on suspected abuse or neglect. This means that removal is based on subjective determination of the law enforcement officer, without examination . . .