NEW MEXICO’S CHILD WELFARE DEPARTMENT POSTPONES PUBLIC HEARING
SANTA FE (KSMX)- New Mexico’s child welfare department is regressing on a proposal that would have tightened income requirements for families to begin receiving child care assistance.
The state Children, Youth and Families Department says a public hearing scheduled Monday in Santa Fe on the proposal to increase the program’s minimum qualifications has been postponed. The income threshold for aid recently became 200% of the federal poverty level after the agency agreed as part of a class-action lawsuit to raise the amount. Under the settlement agreement, the agency must hold public hearings before changing income requirements.
The agency initially proposed increasing the eligibility requirements after it did not get the legislative funding needed to keep a higher limit in place. No word on when the new rule making hearing will be scheduled.