Amid mounting pressures from a landmark child welfare case and lawmakers’ concerns, the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department pitched a $422.3 million spending plan for the coming fiscal year to the powerful Legislative Finance Committee on Tuesday.

The ask, which the agency said was an overall 4.7% increase over the current fiscal year’s budget, includes a total additional request of $43.1 million from the state’s general fund and several new appropriations through the state’s Government Results and Opportunity Program fund, which sets aside money for typically three-year pilots.

Those dollars would go toward filling all vacant caseworker positions and exceeding that capacity by 10%, expanding behavioral health services such as those designed to address adolescent substance

See Full Page