CYFD Secretary Teresa Casados to retire, marking latest turnover in key agency

SANTA FE — New Mexico’s embattled child welfare agency will undergo another leadership shake-up, with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office announcing Friday the abrupt resignation of Children, Youth and Families Secretary Teresa Casados.

Casados, who was previously the governor’s chief operating officer, had led CYFD since April 2023, when former secretary Barbara Vigil stepped down.

The departure of Casados, effective Friday, means Lujan Grisham will as of next week be on her fourth permanent CYFD secretary since taking office in 2019.

Her predecessor, Republican Gov. Susana Martinez, had just two CYFD secretaries during her eight years as governor.

Lujan Grisham said in a statement that Casados had been a “trusted partner and valued leader since the start of my administration.”

“It’s fitting that she took on one of the toughest jobs in state government at CYFD in the last phase of her career in public service,” the governor added. “I am forever grateful to Teresa for hard work and dedication to the people of New Mexico.”

However, the departure of Casados also comes amid growing legislative discontent over a string of high-profile child abuse cases and CYFD’s struggles to comply with a 2020 settlement that obligated the state to follow a series of standards intended to help abused and neglected children.

An arbitrator assigned to oversee the settlement recently ordered CYFD to approve and license 244 new treatment foster care placements by the end of this year. He also invited the governor to attend the next status hearing in the case.

Lujan Grisham has also resisted legislative attempts to increase oversight of the agency. After lawmakers approved a new outside oversight office for CYFD during this year’s 60-day legislative session, the governor vetoed most of the funding connected to the new office.

Maralyn Beck, a former foster parent who is the executive director of New Mexico Child First Network, said she was saddened by Casados’ retirement.

“Rather than spending the time to look deep into the root of the issues facing this agency and our children, the governor has done the easy thing and fired one person and put the next in line in charge,” Beck said.

Sen. Crystal Brantley, R-Elephant Butte, said the Lujan Grisham administration’s prioritization of family reunification over child well-being has been a leading factor in many child abuse and neglect cases.

But she also described the resignation of Casados as “not good news,” saying the steady leadership turnover has led to instability at the Children, Youth and Families Department.

“The revolving door of CYFD secretaries continuing to swing is not good for anyone in New Mexico,” Brantley told the Journal.

Past attempts to reshape CYFD

While resisting outside oversight, Lujan Grisham has announced several steps to restructure the Children, Youth and Families Department.

The governor in 2023 issued an executive order creating a new office of innovation within CYFD, after describing the department as “dysfunctional.”

Earlier this summer, she issued a new directive prohibiting hospitals from discharging babies born with exposure to illicit drugs to the parents’ home.

That came after the death of a 4-month-old boy in Albuquerque who was born addicted to fentanyl. The boy had been discharged under a CYFD safety plan to his parents’ home, where he was later found dead.

The Governor’s Office on Friday credited Casados for leading a “comprehensive transformation” of the agency, citing rapid hiring events that led to more than 280 new CYFD hires and other initiatives.

In a statement released by the Governor’s Office, Casados said she was grateful for the opportunity to serve as CYFD secretary. She had been making $246,376 in her Cabinet-level post, according to data from the state Sunshine Portal.

“The dedicated employees at CYFD do their challenging and important work with compassion and heart, and I hope they are given every opportunity to show what they are capable of accomplishing in the months and years ahead,” Casados said. “While there is always more work to do, I am confident that the foundation we have built will continue to serve New Mexico’s children and families well into the future.”

Looking ahead to uncertain future

With just 16 months left in Lujan Grisham’s second term in office, the governor does not plan to launch a national search for Casados’ successor.

Instead, the Governor’s Office said CYFD deputy secretary Valerie Sandoval would serve as the agency’s acting secretary going forward.

Meanwhile, several legislators have indicated they plan to file new proposals dealing with CYFD during the 30-day legislative session that starts in January. Some Republican lawmakers also criticized the governor for not including CYFD-related issues on the agenda of a special session that’s scheduled to start next month.

Lawmakers have already increased CYFD funding in recent years in an attempt to bolster staffing levels and improve outcomes. But some legislators have expressed frustration the state’s child maltreatment rate has continued to increase and agency staff turnover has remained above the national average.

This year’s $10.8 billion budget kept the agency’s base budget largely flat, while earmarking roughly $72 million to hire caseworkers and other one-time expenditures.