Children, Youth, and Families Department Secretary Teresa Casados has announced her retirement from state government, effective immediately. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham made the announcement on Friday, expressing appreciation for Casados’ years of service to New Mexico.
Casados took on the role of CYFD secretary in January 2024 after serving as interim secretary from May 2023. Before leading CYFD, she was chief operating officer in the Governor’s Office from January 2019 through November 2023.
“Teresa has been a trusted partner and valued leader since the start of my administration,” Governor Lujan Grisham said. “She stepped up to help manage our pandemic response and helped create the Early Childhood Education and Care Department. It’s fitting that she took on one of the toughest jobs in state government at CYFD in the last phase of her career in public service. I am forever grateful to Teresa for hard work and dedication to the people of New Mexico. I wish her all the best in her retirement.”
Valerie Sandoval, currently deputy secretary at CYFD, will serve as acting secretary following Casados’ departure.
“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to work alongside families across New Mexico during my tenure at CYFD,” Casados said. “The dedicated employees at CYFD do their challenging and important work with compassion and heart, and I hope they are given every opportunity to show what they are capable of accomplishing in the months and years ahead. While there is always more work to do, I am confident that the foundation we have built will continue to serve New Mexico’s children and families well into the future.”
During her time as secretary, Casados oversaw several changes within CYFD. She reorganized the department around four main areas: Family Services, Juvenile Justice, Behavioral Health, and Protective Services. She also created a new Family Services Division focused on prevention resources for families.
Other initiatives included ending use of Social Security benefits belonging to children in state care; conducting hiring events that brought over 280 new employees; launching digital projects such as a transparency dashboard (TogetherwethriveNM.org) and an updated website (cyfd.nm.gov); developing new recruitment strategies; starting Foster Care+ for youth with high needs; and establishing an Office of Advocacy.
As chief operating officer before joining CYFD, Casados played a key role in carrying out Governor Lujan Grisham’s priorities. She led efforts during New Mexico’s COVID-19 response—recognized nationally—and coordinated disaster relief for wildfires across the state. She also helped establish New Mexico’s Early Childhood Education and Care Department.
Earlier in her career, Casados served under former Governor Bill Richardson as deputy secretary at the Department of Workforce Solutions and as deputy chief of staff managing operations within his office.
