ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New state data shows New Mexico’s repeat rate for child abuse is among the worst in the country. The Albuquerque Journal reports that more than 40% of children in New Mexico who had a substantiated serious injury from physical abuse or neglect in fiscal year 2022 came from families who had a prior involvement with the state’s Children, Youth and Families Department in the preceding 12 months. A report by the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee said the Families Department “continues to underperform on targets for repeat maltreatment, maltreatment of foster care children, and serious injuries after protective services involvement” and added that the state’s rates for repeat maltreatment “are among the worst in the nation.”
New Mexico’s repeat child abuse rate among nation's worst
