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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Youngberg
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
1/28/07
HB 202
SHORT TITLE CYFD Adoption Photo Gallery
SB
ANALYST Lucero
APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)
Appropriation
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY07
FY08
$260.0
Recurring
General Fund
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Relates to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
House Bill 202 appropriates two hundred sixty thousand dollars ($260,000) from the general
fund to Children, Youth and Families Department for expenditure in FY08 for the heart gallery
programs and outreach for children in foster care who are available for adoption.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of two hundred sixty thousand dollars ($260,000) contained in this bill is a
recurring expense to the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at
the end of fiscal year 2008 shall revert to the general fund.
This appropriation is not part of the Children, Youth and Families Department’s request and is
not included in the Executive recommendation of Children, Youth and Families Department.
pg_0002
House Bill 202 – Page
2
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
Reduced federal funding has left CYFD without many resources for outreach. Outreach such as
the Heart Gallery is important to getting children in adoptive homes.
PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS
HB 202 would positively impact the performance measures of: “Percent of children adopted
within twenty-four months from entry into foster care".
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
If passed, the bill will have a slight administrative impact on children, youth and families
department that the bill does not address.
CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP
None identified.
TECHNICAL ISSUES
CYFD has been recognized nationally as the pioneer of the Heart Gallery.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
From the New Mexico Heart Gallery web page:
http://www.heartgallerynm.org/about.php
The History of the Heart Gallery of New Mexico
On March 29, 2001, at the suggestion of Santa Fe photographer and adoptive mother
Cathy Maier Callanan, the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department
(CYFD) brought the expression "a picture is worth a thousand words" to life at the
nation’s first Heart Gallery exhibit. The reception at Santa Fe’s Gerald Peters Gallery
drew a crowd of people inspired by stirring portraits of children in CYFD custody who
were dreaming of finding their "forever families." The portraits were created and
donated by some of the region’s most talented photographers.
Since then, the annual Heart Gallery of New Mexico has found homes for many
children who were considered "hard to place" due to their age or the fact that they were
members of a sibling group. One of the happiest endings came in June 2005, when a
very special portrait inspired one couple to adopt five teenaged siblings. Two
photographers even "clicked with" and adopted their charming subjects.
Thanks to media coverage and technical support from CYFD, the Heart Gallery spread
to several other states. In January 2005, a Parade article about the project by Santa Fe
reporter Rosemary Zibart touched the hearts of millions of readers, resulting in a virtual
explosion of Heart Gallery groups across America, where 118,000 foster children are
waiting to be adopted. Later coverage included People, the Today Show, CNN,
pg_0003
House Bill 202 – Page
3
MSNBC, USA Weekend, the New York Times, ABC World News Tonight and 20/20.
Currently 42 states have held or are planning Heart Gallery openings, and the number
of Heart Gallery-inspired placements in the end should number in the thousands. CYFD
continues to be the conduit for the positive energy of these dedicated planners. The
federal Children’s Bureau’s adoption initiative "The Collaboration to Adopt US Kids,"
has been a strong supporter of the project, and has named the Heart Gallery a "best
practice." On November 1, 2005, they hosted the first National Heart Gallery exhibit at
Union Station in Washington, D.C. CYFD is playing an integral role in this milestone
event. Please visit adoptuskids.org for more information on The Heart Gallery as a
national movement.
ALTERNATIVES
None identified.
WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL
Status Quo
DL/nt