'I would love to just make them feel special': 2024 Miss New Mexico USA, nonprofit hold makeover extravaganza for children in foster care

A small 11-month-old girl, wrapped in a green dress with sparkly blue detailing, was suddenly engulfed in a sea of pink. Her purple headband was barely visible in the storm of hot pink ruffles coming off Miss New Mexico USA’s dress. The baby grabbed for the pageant queen’s tiara, barely out of reach from her place in Mackenzie Sydow’s arms.

Sydow gingerly took it off, offering it to the child, who wiggled with excitement.

Sydow, as her last event as reigning Miss New Mexico USA, partnered with the New Mexico Child First Network, a supportive nonprofit for children in foster care, for a Girl’s Day event at Hotel Albuquerque on Saturday.

Over 100 children were treated to the beauty industry’s top makeup, hair and nail professionals at the event, as pop dance music floated through the air, stemming from a DJ booth in the corner.

The event is much needed this year as the state’s Children, Youth and Families Department has been under pressure for the deaths of at least four children in its custody this year — two teen suicides and two babies. Additionally, CYFD has garnered criticism from lawmakers over the agency’s slow-moving reforms, funded by an extra $100 million from the Roundhouse this year. According to the nonprofit, there are 2,000 to 2,600 children in the state’s foster care system at any given time.

“I was in foster care. There was no social media, no cellphones, no way of interacting with anybody. This is the time to connect with people who have access to these foster children,” Sydow said. “I would love to just make them feel special, make them feel free and confident and beautiful, even if it’s for a day.”

Maralyn Beck, founder and executive director of New Mexico Child First Network, said the event was meant to bring a good day for children in the foster care system. One that, she said, can bring many bad ones.

“The opposite of a trigger is called a glimmer, and I think it’s remembering something really special and beautiful,” Beck said. “An event like this intentionally makes you feel beautiful and happy, and just the smiles alone, the excitement.”

Attendees of all ages were greeted at the door, covered in different hues of pink. Balloon displays and table decorations were backdrops to young children laughing among themselves and their caretakers. Hairstylists worked swiftly yet gently to curl hair or apply glittering hair tinsel offered in shades of blue, pink and green.

“It’s really important to the kids to have some fun and normalcy in their lives,” said Marcy Starr, a New Mexico Child First Network board member and foster parent for 11 years. “They’ve had so much trauma in their lives sometimes, and we just want to give them as much as we can.”

Starr brought three girls, two she has adopted and one still in foster care.

“One got a tooth gem. It was so cute,” Starr said. “I don’t know how I feel about that, but I’m good with it for today.”

Even if just for a day, Sydow said she hoped to provide an event for children to gain confidence and create “glimmers,” as Beck called it.

“I felt so isolated in (foster care), especially when you’re without family or you’re without loved ones, it’s super difficult,” Sydow said. “Being able to bring these girls here, I truly just want them to feel like they’re not alone. I want them to feel hope and faith that things do get better, and even if you are hopeless or just feel like you cannot get out of that situation, it will eventually be better.”