Citizen Portal
Sign In

Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!

Committee backs memorial asking CYFD to study foster parent pay and report by Nov. 30

House Health and Human Services Committee · February 13, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

The committee gave House Memorial 59 a do-pass recommendation after testimony and questions. The memorial requests a CYFD-conducted study (likely via contractor) of foster parent compensation, including cost-of-living adjustments, with a report due to the Health and Human Services Committee by Nov. 30.

The House Health and Human Services Committee voted to give House Memorial 59 a do-pass recommendation. The memorial asks the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) to study fair compensation for foster parents, including the consideration of a cost-of-living allowance, and to report findings and recommendations to the legislative Health and Human Services Committee by Nov. 30.

Jason Espinosa, representing the New Mexico Child First Network, testified in support of the memorial, urging the committee to reevaluate foster parent rates and noting regional rates are among the lowest in the Southwest. "Foster families open their hearts and their homes to children at times when they need it most," Espinosa said.

Brenda Donald, chief operating…

Already have an account? Log in

Subscribe to keep reading

Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.

  • Unlimited articles
  • AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
  • Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
  • Follow topics and more locations
  • 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
30-day money-back on paid plans