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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Cisneros
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
1/16/08
HB
SHORT TITLE CYFD Foster Care Program & Outreach
SB 46
ANALYST Lucero
APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)
Appropriation
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY08
FY09
$260.0
Recurring
General Fund
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Relates to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act: The Executive recommendation for
CYFD includes a $100.0 appropriation to support the Heart Gallery program.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
Senate Bill 46 appropriates Two hundred sixty thousand ($260,000) from the General Fund to
Children, Youth and Families 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 ($260,000) contained in this bill is a recurring
expense to the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of
2006 shall revert to the general fund.
The Executive recommendation for CYFD includes a recurring $100.0 appropriation to support
the Heart Gallery program.
pg_0002
Senate Bill 46 – Page
2
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
The Heart Gallery was founded in 2001 and has received widespread recognition. The Heart
Gallery was established to partner with CYFD in support of the children in CYFD custody who
need adoptive families as well as those who are aging out of the system or are at risk of doing so.
The Heart Gallery has been named a “best practice" by the US Children’s Bureau, and has been
featured on numerous national television programs and in the NY Times, People, Parade and
other media. It has also become a model for over 100 similar programs in more than forty states.
In 2007, Heart Gallery of America, a national non-profit, was launched in Santa Fe to support the
work of Heart Gallery groups around the country.
At four Heart Gallery events held during FY07, sixteen children, including teens and two sibling
groups, met approved adoptive families with whom they were placed. FY07 Heart Gallery
funding received by CYFD was used to design portrait displays, print informational material,
develop the heartgallerynm.org website, and advertise Heart Gallery events. If additional funding
is appropriated, CYFD will use these monies to expand the current Heart Gallery program.
PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS
This bill supports CYFD's efforts to increase the percent of children adopted within 24 months of
entering foster care. This is a Federal Child and Family Service Review measure, and also a
state-level Accountability in Government Act measure.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
CYFD works in partnership with the Heart Gallery of New Mexico. CYFD is able to absorb any
administrative impact generated by this bill with existing staff.
CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP
The Executive recommendation for CYFD includes a $100.0 appropriation to support the Heart
Gallery program.
WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL
Status quo.
DL/mt