THEIR HOMES.
BUT AS NEWS 13 )S
GABRIELLE BURKHART
DISCOVERED ON
SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT ...
THE (NEED ( OUTWEIGHS
WHAT )S ACTUALLY
AVAILABLE...
OFTEN FORCING THE STATE
TO BEND ITS OWN RULES.
)...NATS sirens..."
WE )VE SEEN IT TIME AND
TIME AGAIN.
"...you guys ok?..."
WHEN PARENTS SCREW UP --
"...officer: you drank a
whole bottle of
crown?..."
IT )S OFTEN KIDS WHO
SUFFER.
"...officer: how old are
you? child: 5..."
AND AUTHORITIES ARE
FACED WITH TOUGH
DECISIONS.
"...Monique
Jacobson/CYFD Cabinet
Secretary we are either
given custody by law
enforcement or we go to
the courts and we
petition the courts to
get custody of a kid..."
MONIQUE JACOBSON IS
CABINET SECRETARY FOR
THE CHILDREN YOUTH AND
FAMILIES DEPARTMENT.
THE STATE AGENCY THAT
STEPS IN WHEN KIDS ARE
ABUSED OR NEGLECTED.
"...Monique
Jacobson/CYFD Cabinet
Secretary we definitely
have a need for
additional foster
parents..." AND THAT )S
WHERE FAMILIES LIKE THE
CONTRUCCI )S COME IN.
"...Maria
Contrucci/Foster Mom you
know we love kids and
maybe we can help
them..."
"...Paul
Contrucci/Foster Dad
people have more in them
than they think they
do.."
THE COUPLE STARTED
FOSTERING SEVEN YEARS
AGO. SINCE THEN -
THEY )VE OPENED THEIR
HOME AND HEARTS TO MORE
THAN 70-KIDS.
"...NATS kids
playing..."
RIGHT NOW, THEY )RE AMONG
13- HUNDRED FOSTER
PARENTS IN NEW
MEXICO.
BUT THE NEED IS GREAT.
THIS YEAR STATEWIDE
THERE ARE MORE THAN
26-HUNDRED CHILDREN
IN C-Y-F-D CUSTODY.
"...Gabrielle Burkhart
but there )s another
number that may surprise
you. We looked into the
amount of
"overplacements" granted
by the state. That )s
when more than six kids
are allowed in (one (
home..."
IN 2013 THERE WERE
84-FOSTER HOMES IN NEW
MEXICO WITH MORE
CHILDREN
THAN THE STATE )S
RECOMMENDED MAXIMUM.
THAT NUMBER HAS SINCE
GONE UP.
AS OF JUNE (THIS YEAR --
THERE ARE 152-FOSTER
HOMES IN THE STATE WITH
OVERPLACEMENTS.
NEARLY A THIRD OF THEM
ARE IN BERNALILLO
COUNTY.
"...Monique Jacobson
often times when we have
overplacements, it )s
because we )re keeping
sibling groups
together..."
WHEN KIDS LOSE
EVERYTHING ... A HOME, A
PARENT -- WHEN THEIR
WORLD IS TURNED UPSIDE
DOWN...SEPARATING
SIBLINGS CAN BE ANOTHER
BLOW.
IT )S SOMETHING THE
CONTRUCCI )S RECOGNIZED
WHEN THEY TOOK IN THEIR
FIRST FOSTERS YEARS AGO
-- A SIBLING GROUP OF
FIVE KIDS.
"...Maria
Contrucci/Foster Mom 3,
4, 5, and twins that
were 7... And - they )re
still with us today
because we adopted
them..."
"...NATS: one two three
go!..."
"...NATS kid: yes!!..."
A FULL HOUSE -- THE
CONTRUCCI )S CURRENTLY
CARE FOR 11 KIDS.
BUT IT CAME WITH AN
AGREEMENT - THEIR
BIOLOGICAL SON,
16-YEAR-OLD
JOSH -- WILL STAY THE
OLDEST IN THE HOME.
"...nats laugh..."
JOSH KNOWS HIS FAMILY IS
DIFFERENT.
BUT HE WOULDN )T HAVE IT
ANY OTHER WAY.
"...Josh
Contrucci/16-years-old I
love it because you get
to see people )s lives
change forever..."
PLACING MORE THAN SIX
KIDS IN A HOME - CYFD
SAYS - ISN )T A DECISION
TAKEN LIGHTLY.
WORKERS TAKE INTO
CONSIDERATION
EXPERIENCE,
ADULTS IN THE HOME, AND
MAKE SURE EACH CHILD IS
SAFE.
"...Monique Jacobson so
even though there are
more kids in that house
than we would ideally
have, it can still be a
pretty wonderful
situation..."
THE CONTRUCCI )S HAVE A
SYSTEM.
SCHOOL IS A PRIORITY.
MARIA STAYS HOME -
MAKING SURE KIDS GET TO
COUNSELING APPOINTMENTS
AND
VISITATIONS.
THE CHILDREN STAY ACTIVE
-- EACH ONE HAS THEIR
OWN BIKE. AND ONE MORE
THING WE NOTICED.
NO T-V.
THEY DON )T EVEN OWN ONE.
"...Paul/Foster Dad a
lot of times with foster
children, they have a
lot of catching up to
do, so you don )t even
have time for TV
anyways..."
"...Maria we teach them
a lot of coping by life
skills instead of
withdrawing into
television..."
JACOBSON SAYS SHE
REALIZES NOT EVERY
FAMILY CAN HANDLE MORE
THAN
SIX KIDS.
AND CYFD IS CONSTANTLY
TRYING TO RECRUIT MORE
FOSTER FAMILIES.
THE CONTRUCCI )S WILL
TELL YOU - THEY )RE NO
EXPERTS.
"...Maria/Foster Mom
they form bonds and they
can talk and relate
about how they )re
feeling and they help
each other more than we
help them - because they
connect..."
)...Paul/Foster Dad
imparting into a little
child that you do have
worth, you do have
something to offer..."
"...you )ve inspired a
human being. That
changes the world..."
ON SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT,
GABRIELLE BURKHART, KRQE
NEWS 13.
CYFD CURRENTLY HAS
447-PROTECTIVE SERVICE
FIELD WORKERS AND A 12-
PERCENT VACANCY RATE.
THAT )S UP FROM 340-FIELD
WORKERS TWO YEARS AGO.
TO SEE HOW MANY FOSTER
FAMILIES (AND
OVERPLACEMENTS
ARE IN YOUR COUNTY AND
MORE .. HEAD TO "ALWAYS
ON KRQE-DOT-COM."
ADLIB TOSS TO WEATHER
TONIGHT...Partly cloudy.
Isolated showers and