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Officials Seem Unaware of Own Stats on Abuse
Top officials with the state's Children, Youth and Families Department say it is rare for children in New Mexico to be abused and neglected by their foster parents.
It's not clear how they would know.
They say the agency doesn't keep such statistics. They rely on word of mouth.
Yet federal statistics, based on reports submitted by CYFD, show that more than 165 state-licensed foster parents were found to have abused or neglected their foster children from 1992 to 1995.
On Dec. 17, in a written response to the Journal, the agency contended its antiquated computer system didn't capture that kind of information. CYFD said it didn't know the number of allegations of foster-home abuse the agency received or the number of complaints its social workers substantiated.
The agency said it also had no data to show the number of foster-care licenses it had revoked or failed to renew because of abuse or neglect of foster children.
Department Secretary Heather Wilson and Deborah Hartz, director of the state's child protective services, said in a recent interview they knew of no agency data on foster-care abuse in New Mexico.
Wilson said she relies on verbal notifications, adding, "If there is an allegation of abuse in a foster home, it is so important that I usually know about it."
She said when abuse occurs, she's confident it comes to her attention by word of mouth up the chain of command.
"These aren't huge numbers. They are extremely small. Maybe three or four times a year," said Wilson, referring to abuse substantiations.
But documents obtained by the Journal show CYFD reported to the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect that 48 foster parents in 1995 were perpetrators.
The report doesn't state how many unsubstantiated reports involving foster parents were investigated.
Reports from the federal center show that in 1994, New Mexico reported 41 foster parents abused or neglected children; in 1993, it reported 64 foster parents; and in 1992, the number was 13.
The federal numbers don't break down abuse and neglect. And there is no way to know how severe the infractions were.
New Mexico numbers on foster-care maltreatment were gleaned from CYFD monthly directors' reports, according to the federal reports.
CYFD wouldn't give the Journal a copy of those reports, citing confidentiality.
When the Journal showed them copies, Wilson and Hartz said they were unaware of the federal reports or the New Mexico information contained therein.
Maryellen Strawniak, director of the protective service division's policies and procedures, was quoted in the Dec. 17 memo to the Journal as saying the agency computer system didn't distinguish foster parents from other parents or caretakers.
But in a more recent interview, she said she has since discovered the department is able to capture that data. She said those are the numbers reported to the federal government.
But she also said she's not sure the information is accurate and may reflect minor incidents.
"It may have some other stuff in there and really the only way we'd be able to really sort that out is to pull up every single report and review it," Strawniak said.
There's no way to verify CYFD's numbers because complaints of abuse and neglect are confidential by state law.
* Colleen Heild
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Copyright © 1997 Albuquerque Journal