CYFD describes tiered absenteeism referrals; lawmakers press for better coordination and supports

The committee heard a detailed briefing from Corey Adams, deputy director of juvenile justice services at the Children, Youth and Families Department, on how schools and CYFD handle excessive absenteeism under the Attendance for Success framework.

Adams explained that once a student reaches tier 4, a standardized referral packet is submitted to the juvenile probation office for a preliminary inquiry. A juvenile probation officer then schedules a meeting with school staff, the student and family to determine whether to close the case as assessed-and-referred, place the student on informal supervision (a voluntary administrative probation agreement), or take no further action when required documentation is missing or the family declines involvement. Adams emphasized that truancy and absenteeism are handled as informal matters and are not presently processed as delinquent offenses in New Mexico.

Adams cited outcome figures for the last two fiscal years: FY23 had 647 absenteeism referrals (113 assessed-and-referred; 160 handled with informal conditions with 126 satisfactorily completed; 37 informal supervision; 336 no further action). FY24 rose to 840 referrals, an increase of roughly 200 cases. He said county-level variation (for example, Eddy County rising from 76 to 201 referrals) likely reflects inconsistent reporting rather than a single causal event and committed to providing FY22 data in the requested format.

Adams also said CYFD's informal agreements have limits: because absenteeism is not a delinquent act under current law, juvenile probation has limited enforcement "teeth" if families do not comply. He described local programs and interventions that have shown promise when staff can maintain regular contact: continuum sites that link community programs and school attendance liaisons; mentorship and culturally relevant supports; and restorative-practices efforts. On local evidence, Adams said a Curry County tracking exercise found "75 percent end up back, within the next year for a delinquent offense," a statistic he presented as a reason to intervene early.

Members raised several concerns. Representative Paca asked about staffing and how many field officers and continuum sites exist; Adams said juvenile probation has about 27 offices and roughly 110 juvenile probation officers statewide, with local approaches varying by district. Representative DuPont asked how disability access and the needs of tribal communities are integrated into planning; staff and presenters said tribes and disability advocates were active in AI and governance stakeholder sessions and that those voices should be represented on any governance board.

Parent Sarah Salazar urged an amendment to the Attendance for Success Act to add an explicit disability accommodation provision, saying her first grader's chronic illness and vision impairment create unavoidable absences and that the law does not currently distinguish such cases. Committee members acknowledged the concern and said they would follow up.

Adams said CYFD is convening a task force with administration partners to review attendance approaches and invited LESC participation; members said LESC staff and appropriators could consider funding requests for attendance liaisons or continuum programming during the budget process.

The briefing closed with staff and members agreeing to continue follow-up on data, task-force membership, and whether statutory adjustments to enforcement or protective-services referrals are warranted.