Cyfd Structured Decision-making Study
If enacted, SM63 would lead to a comprehensive evaluation of the structured decision-making philosophy that CYFD employs. The task force is to assess the effectiveness and outcomes of these tools, review the training provided to staff, and determine whether these decision-making tools enhance child safety and welfare. This examination is intended to ensure that the measures put in place are actually safeguarding children and addressing the high rates of maltreatment effectively, thereby influencing state laws on child welfare and protective services.
Senate Memorial 63 (SM63) is a legislative proposal introduced in New Mexico that requests the Attorney General to convene a task force aimed at studying the implementation and effects of structured decision-making tools by the Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD). The bill recognizes the alarming rates of repeat child maltreatment in New Mexico and seeks to address the shortcomings of the CYFD's existing structured decision-making framework, emphasizing the need for improved understanding and correct application of these tools by department staff to protect vulnerable children effectively.
Discussion surrounding SM63 reflects concerns regarding the efficacy of structured decision-making tools being used by CYFD. Critics argue about the adequacy of the current training received by staff in effectively applying these tools, which have not yielded the anticipated outcomes as several documented cases of failures have occurred. The legislation aims to rectify these issues through a task force that will evaluate the current methodologies and recommend improvements, indicating a push towards a more evidence-based approach in child welfare policy.