Lawmakers express disappointment at resignation of CYFD secretary

Apr. 13—Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino was planning to write Barbara Vigil a letter of support when he got the news she was stepping down as head of the state's troubled child welfare advocacy department.

"That's unfortunate; that's too bad," the Albuquerque Democrat said in an interview when he heard the news Vigil resigned Thursday as secretary of the Children, Youth and Families Department. "I was just thinking to write her and ask her how we can help her during this interim session."

Noting Vigil was a lawyer and judge and her predecessor, Brian Blalock, was an attorney, Ortiz y Pino said he hopes the state hires someone "experienced in protective services ... a social worker, not a lawyer," to succeed Vigil.

Blalock lasted in the job about 18 months, Vigil about 22 months.

The agency, primarily tasked with keeping vulnerable young people safe, has faced fierce criticism for years — often in relation to high-profile child deaths — along with constant struggles to recruit and retain critical staff and meet key goals.

A September 2022 Legislative Finance Committee report on CYFD said it was experiencing a "workforce crisis."

Ortiz y Pino said it's important Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham chooses "somebody who can inspire, who can take a demoralized staff — and it is demoralized — and help them accomplish what they would like to accomplish."

He was one of several lawmakers and child advocates who expressed surprise at the news of Vigil's resignation, just two months after she and Lujan Grisham announced a raft of initiatives designed to help stabilize the agency.

One of the plans is to contract an out-of-state legal firm to create annual independent audits of the child welfare agency

Sen. Crystal Diamond, R-Elephant Butte, said it's "a disappointment" Vigil is leaving the post. Diamond, who introduced and supported a number of bills with reform ideas to provide more oversight to CYFD — none of which passed — said she is frustrated Vigil is leaving so shortly after announcing the initiatives and saying she would work to make change.

"We could have created change in a broken agency," Diamond said. "Now she's gone. The governor and Secretary Vigil have let down the legislative body. They let voters in New Mexico down but most alarmingly they have put New Mexico's most vulnerable children in extreme danger."

Asked what sort of person she would like to see succeeding Vigil, Diamond said it doesn't matter because "we have seen a revolving door of leadership within CYFD and no one has been able to provide stability."

"Until we have outside oversight that can look in and clearly identify why this agency is so broken, it doesn't matter who we put in there," she said.

Rep. Marian Matthews, D-Albuquerque, said in an interview Thursday she thought Vigil was "very capable" in the job. She said she's known Vigil for decades since the days when both were working as "young lawyers."

"I'm sorry to see her leave the agency. I think she was successful in making some progress," she said.

She said Vigil was aware of the need to change a culture "that had been very secret to one where there is honest discussion about what the agency is doing."

Matthews said transparency is necessary for whoever succeeds Vigil in the job. She said the agency "is not going to gain the trust of the public unless it is able to talk about what it is doing and what decisions it is making."

Matthews said Vigil supported a bill Matthews co-sponsored to provide more information sharing about cases involving fatalities or near-fatalities while keeping protected the names of the children involved. The bill, like most legislative pieces tied to reform at CYFD, stalled during this year's 60-day session.

Both Diamond and Matthews expressed concern that, with a change in leadership at CYFD, lawmakers won't have a chance to help the agency until next year's 30-day session, which starts in mid-January.

Matthews said it could be helpful if Lujan Grisham called a special session to focus on CYFD once a new leader comes in to make some changes to "empower the agency to be more forthcoming and responsive to the public."

During a February news conference in the governor's office, Vigil said her work as head of CYFD was the most rewarding job she's ever had.

But, she added, it was also "very traumatic work. It's traumatic for everyone in the industry."