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New Mexico’s Troubled Foster Care System

New Mexico committed to reforming its child welfare system, but it’s leaving some of its most troubled foster teens without the help they need.

5 stories published since 2022

Here’s What Can Happen When Kids Age Out of Foster Care

by Kitra Cahana, special to ProPublica, and Ed Williams, Searchlight New Mexico, photography by Kitra Cahana, special to ProPublica,

Homeless Shelters Aren’t Equipped to Deal With New Mexico’s Most Troubled Foster Kids. Police See It for Themselves.

by Ed Williams, Searchlight New Mexico, and Joel Jacobs, ProPublica,

Child Welfare Experts Say New Mexico Can’t Put Kids in Homeless Shelters Just Because It Lacks Other Beds

by Ed Williams, Searchlight New Mexico,

New Mexico Struggles to Follow Through on Promises to Reform Child Welfare System

by Ed Williams, Searchlight New Mexico,

These Foster Kids Need Mental Health Care. New Mexico Is Putting Them in Homeless Shelters.

by Ed Williams, Searchlight New Mexico, with data analysis by Joel Jacobs, ProPublica, photography by Kitra Cahana, special to ProPublica,

What We’re Watching

During Donald Trump’s second presidency, ProPublica will focus on the areas most in need of scrutiny. Here are some of the issues our reporters will be watching — and how to get in touch with them securely.

Learn more about our reporting team. We will continue to share our areas of interest as the news develops.

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Sharon Lerner

I cover health and the environment and the agencies that govern them, including the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Andy Kroll

I cover justice and the rule of law, including the Justice Department, U.S. attorneys and the courts.

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Melissa Sanchez

I report on immigration and labor, and I am based in Chicago.

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Jesse Coburn

I cover housing and transportation, including the companies working in those fields and the regulators overseeing them.

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