Children, Youth, and Families Department Secretary Teresa Casados is retiring from state government after leading comprehensive reforms at one of New Mexico’s most challenging agencies, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Friday.
Casados served as CYFD secretary since January 2024 and previously held the role on an interim basis from May 2023 until her Senate confirmation. Her final day was Friday, with Deputy Secretary Valerie Sandoval designated as acting secretary.
“Teresa has been a trusted partner and valued leader since the start of my administration,” Lujan Grisham said in a statement. “It’s fitting that she took on one of the toughest jobs in state government at CYFD in the last phase of her career in public service.”
CYFD has had a litany of issues, including consistent failures to meet national child safety and well-being standards. These issues encompass improper child placements, delayed responses to abuse and neglect reports, problems at its receiving center, insufficient staffing and caseworkers failing to follow up on crucial services. Such shortcomings jeopardize federal funding and have been linked to severe outcomes, including a child’s death and a lawsuit alleging CYFD’s incompetence.
Before leading CYFD, Casados served as chief operating officer in the Governor’s Office from January 2019 to November 2023, where she helped coordinate the state’s COVID-19 response and wildfire relief efforts.
According to the governor’s announcement, during her tenure at CYFD, Casados implemented significant reforms including reorganizing the agency around four core divisions and creating a Family Services Division focused on preventive resources. The department also ended the practice of using Social Security benefits belonging to children in state care and hired more than 280 new employees through rapid hiring events.
“The dedicated employees at CYFD do their challenging and important work with compassion and heart,” Casados said in a statement. “While there is always more work to do, I am confident that the foundation we have built will continue to serve New Mexico’s children and families well into the future.”
Casados also oversaw the launch of digital initiatives including a public transparency dashboard and an improved website, and established an Office of Advocacy to support children, families and foster parents, according to the governor’s announcement.
Her government experience includes serving as deputy secretary of the Department of Workforce Solutions and deputy chief of staff under former Gov. Bill Richardson.
The governor praised Casados for helping create the Early Childhood Education and Care Department, which New Mexico officials have described as the first of its kind in the nation.