Every relief, support and community resource that exists today, gathered in one place.
These supports are spread across many agencies and flyers. Search or tap who you are to narrow the list.
Every child in foster care qualifies, every year. These costs are reimbursed to the foster parent, so ask your caseworker and use them to the fullest.
$500
per year, per child
Sports, scouts, music lessons, gymnastics, clubs, art supplies, books & gear.
$500
per year, per child
Tutoring, computers & tablets, online classes, band instruments, field trips, driver’s ed.
$750
per youth
Cap & gown, fees, announcements, class rings, yearbooks, class pictures.
$250
per year, per child
Day trips, camping, and tickets to special events.
$50
every year, per child
A little something extra in the month of the child’s birthday.
Reimbursed
at state employee rates
Trips to court, family visits, medical & therapy, school of origin.
Ask first. Your caseworker approves before you buy.
Track your miles for any extra trips.
It’s theirs to keep. Items go with the child if they move.
Questions? Call your caseworker! Rates effective April 15, 2021.
Care for children on Presbyterian Turquoise Care, the Medicaid plan for children in state custody.
StatewideFoster parents
Every child in state custody on Turquoise Care has an assigned care coordinator on the Children in State Custody (CISC) team. They help you find a pediatrician, schedule well-child visits (within 30 days of entering custody), line up specialty and behavioral health services, and support trauma-related care and developmental needs.
StatewideFoster parents
Search the Presbyterian Health Plan directory for pediatricians, behavioral health, dental and more. Always call the office to confirm they accept Turquoise Care and are taking new patients.
Albuquerque and surrounding countiesFoster parents
A pediatric medical home for children and youth in foster care, located in UNM Hospital and serving Bernalillo and surrounding counties since 2002. The clinic provides comprehensive evaluations within federally mandated timelines, primary medical care and ongoing healthcare management (including immunizations), urgent care, health assessments, mental health and developmental screening, subspecialty referrals, and social work and nursing case management. Well-child checks are at least every six months. The clinic manages all referrals, coordinates with foster families and child welfare, and sends child welfare a health summary after each visit.
NM Child First Network does not endorse any provider. This information comes from UNM Health and may change. Call to confirm the clinic accepts your child’s Medicaid plan. For questions, please contact your child’s MCO Medicaid care coordinator. If your child is on Presbyterian Turquoise Care, that is the Children in State Custody (CISC) team at (505) 923-8417.
StatewideFoster parents
88 pediatric practices in New Mexico in the Presbyterian Turquoise Care directory, listed by city. The directory marks every pediatrician as accepting new patients, but only 31 of these practices have confirmed that within the last 90 days. Those are marked “recently confirmed.” Call first to confirm they accept Turquoise Care, the ages they treat, and openings. Ask about any foster-care paperwork or authorization they need. Practices outside New Mexico, such as El Paso, aren’t listed here. Call Member Services at 1-855-592-7737 for help finding one.
NM Child First Network does not endorse any provider on this list. The information comes from the Presbyterian Turquoise Care website and is as up to date as we can make it, but it can change. For more information or questions, please contact your child’s MCO Medicaid care coordinator. If your child is on Presbyterian Turquoise Care, that is the Children in State Custody (CISC) team at (505) 923-8417.
Directory current as of November 2026. Always call to confirm.
Albuquerque and Rio RanchoFoster parents
32 dental practices in the Presbyterian Turquoise Care directory. Call first to confirm they accept Turquoise Care, the ages they treat, and openings. Ask about any foster-care paperwork or authorization they need. Outside the metro area, call Member Services at 1-855-592-7737 for help finding a dentist.
NM Child First Network does not endorse any provider on this list. The information comes from the Presbyterian Turquoise Care website and is as up to date as we can make it, but it can change. For more information or questions, please contact your child’s MCO Medicaid care coordinator. If your child is on Presbyterian Turquoise Care, that is the Children in State Custody (CISC) team at (505) 923-8417.
Directory current as of October 2026. Always call to confirm.
Albuquerque and Rio RanchoFoster parents
25 eye care offices (optometry) in the Presbyterian Turquoise Care directory. Call first to confirm they accept Turquoise Care, the ages they treat, and openings. Ask about any foster-care paperwork or authorization they need. Outside the metro area, call Member Services at 1-855-592-7737 for help finding an eye doctor.
NM Child First Network does not endorse any provider on this list. The information comes from the Presbyterian Turquoise Care website and is as up to date as we can make it, but it can change. For more information or questions, please contact your child’s MCO Medicaid care coordinator. If your child is on Presbyterian Turquoise Care, that is the Children in State Custody (CISC) team at (505) 923-8417.
Directory current as of November 2026. Always call to confirm.
StatewideFoster parents
149 therapy and counseling agencies and group practices in the Presbyterian Turquoise Care behavioral health directory that each have five or more therapists, listed by city across 27 New Mexico cities. The directory has about 3,500 behavioral health providers in all, including many solo practices, so this list is not complete. To search for a therapist who fits your child, use the Presbyterian Behavioral Health Directory or call Member Services at 1-855-592-7737. Call first to confirm they accept Turquoise Care, the ages they treat, and openings. Ask about any foster-care paperwork or authorization they need.
NM Child First Network does not endorse any provider on this list. The information comes from the Presbyterian Turquoise Care website and is as up to date as we can make it, but it can change. For more information or questions, please contact your child’s MCO Medicaid care coordinator. If your child is on Presbyterian Turquoise Care, that is the Children in State Custody (CISC) team at (505) 923-8417.
Directory current as of November 2026. Always call to confirm.
Statewide, birth to age 3Foster parentsRelatives raising childrenChildren under 5
Free early intervention for babies and toddlers from birth to age three who have, or are at risk of, a developmental delay. A local FIT team does a free evaluation and, if your child qualifies, builds a plan for therapies and support, often at home. Services are free to families regardless of income. FIT bills Medicaid or private insurance only with your agreement, and charges no copays or deductibles. Anyone can make a referral, including foster parents, and you don’t need a diagnosis first. To find a local FIT agency, use the FIT Provider list in the FIT Materials Library.
Concerns about the services you receive? Call 1-877-696-1472 and ask for FIT Program staff. Family support and training: Parents Reaching Out, 1-800-524-5176.
Free things for your home and your kids, so you don’t have to buy everything yourself.
Albuquerque metro
Free clothes for kids in Pre-K through 12th grade, up to 3 times each school year: 1 new pair of shoes and at least 5 school outfits. NM Child First Network sends the referral. CYFD caseworkers can also give you a clothing voucher.
Email for a referral form.
New MexicoFoster parents
New items for the children in your home: twin beds, cribs, bedding, clothing, shoes, diapers, personal care items, backpacks and more.
New MexicoFoster parentsRelatives raising children
New monogrammed backpacks to celebrate your forever family, from NM Child First Network and Jockey Being Family.
Email us and we’ll send you the sign-up link.
Online, FacebookFoster parentsRelatives raising children
A free public Facebook community for swapping and sharing things between foster families. Search for “New Mexico Foster Families: Sweet Swaps and Helping Hands.”
Get outside, get curious, and make memories without the price tag.
StatewideFoster parents
Foster parents and the children in their custody, young adults in Fostering Connections, and children in CYFD or tribal custody get free day use of state parks, plus a free camping pass for up to three consecutive nights. You must be a New Mexico resident.
This benefit is set by state rule 19.5.2.38 NMAC (House Bill 303, 2019).
StatewideFoster parentsTeens and young adults
A free annual New Mexico fishing license for foster parents and the children in their custody, young adults in the Fostering Connections program, and children in CYFD or tribal custody. Get it in person at a New Mexico Department of Game and Fish office. Proof of foster parent licensure or a placement agreement is required.
AlbuquerqueFoster parents
A whole year of hands-on science and fun at ¡Explora! in Albuquerque, free for foster families.
StatewideFoster parents
Free admission, year round, to state-owned museums and historic sites for New Mexico foster families. Bring your New Mexico photo ID and your CYFD foster parent certification card.
AlbuquerqueFoster parents
Free family passes to City of Albuquerque pools, plus free swimming lessons through the Shanta Strong Swim Fund. Just show active foster parent licensure.
Every child in foster care has rights, a lawyer, and people they can turn to when something isn’t right.
StatewideFoster parents
Every child in foster care in New Mexico has an attorney paid for by the state, at no cost to the child or family. Children under 14 have a guardian ad litem (GAL), who tells the court what they believe is best and shares what the child wants. Youth 14 and older have a youth attorney who fights for what they want, in their own words. The child’s attorney represents only the child, meets privately with the child before key hearings and after big changes like a move, and gathers information from caseworkers, teachers, doctors, therapists and you. The child has an absolute right to contact their attorney.
Attorneys must follow confidentiality rules, so they may not share case details with you. Updates on hearings and decisions come from the child’s CYFD Permanency Coordinator.
StatewideFoster parents
The Office of Family Representation and Advocacy (OFRA) takes questions, concerns and formal complaints about whether a child is getting strong legal representation.
Statewide
An independent, impartial resource for children and families involved with CYFD. They listen to complaints, independently review whether actions and decisions follow law, policy, procedure and the child’s best interests, advocate with families and CYFD to find solutions, and recommend changes.
StatewideFoster parentsTeens and young adults
New Mexico lists 28 rights for every child and youth in CYFD foster care. Your caseworker must explain them to the child in a way they understand when they enter care and at least every three months. They include the right to a safe and respectful home, healthy food and clothing, medical, dental, vision and behavioral health care, a monthly private visit with the caseworker, staying in the same school when it’s in the child’s best interest, regular contact with siblings and family, and a say in their own permanency plan. At 14 and older, a youth can also make choices about behavioral health services and medications (unless court ordered) and ask for a review of a prudent parenting decision.
If you feel a child’s rights have been violated, contact CYFD advocacy. List dated April 17, 2026.
Statewide
If a child is being or has been abused or neglected, call Statewide Central Intake. If a child is in immediate danger, call 911.
Not sure where to start? Call the first number on this list. It’s a good place to start for anyone raising a relative’s child.
StatewideRelatives raising children
Information on resources and services in your community, including kinship support. Run by the NM Aging and Long-Term Services Department.
StatewideRelatives raising children
A team of navigators from the CYFD Kinship Guardianship Program, working with Fostering Family and SHARE New Mexico, links relatives raising children to the resources they need.
StatewideRelatives raising children
Free and low-cost legal help for relatives seeking kinship guardianship, especially in contested situations. Start with the Guardianship Legal Helpline. Se habla español.
StatewideRelatives raising children
For children from birth to 18 living with grandparents, family members and caretakers. Information and referral on guardianship and adoption, and legal representation in uncontested guardianship and adoption cases (sliding-scale fee based on income). Downloadable forms include a Power of Attorney and Caregiver’s Affidavit.
Statewide, ages 55 and olderRelatives raising children
Information and referral for seniors 55 and older. Offers the free English and Spanish NM Senior Legal Handbook. Chapter 12 covers grandparent caregivers and kinship guardianship.
National, with a New Mexico fact sheetRelatives raising children
A national legal resource for grandfamilies inside and outside the child welfare system, with state fact sheets on many services.
Northern New MexicoRelatives raising children
A council of community organizations that already serve grandparents and kin raising children in Northern New Mexico, convened by the LANL Foundation. It works to share information, resources and services in a culturally respectful way, and the Foundation has offered virtual trainings on early childhood development, the role of trauma, and self-care for grandparents and kin. Member organizations include Barrios Unidos, Las Cumbres Community Services, Los Alamos Family Strengths Network, Mesa to Mesa, Big Brothers Big Sisters Mountain Region, Fostering Family, and the CYFD CARA program.
StatewideRelatives raising childrenFoster parents
Emergency food assistance, SNAP, TANF (cash assistance), Low Income Energy Assistance, and Medicaid health coverage.
Statewide, birth to 5Foster parentsRelatives raising childrenChildren under 5
Helps children from birth to 5 get ready for school and supports their mental, social and emotional growth. A child in kinship or foster care is automatically income-eligible for free enrollment.
Statewide, birth to 5Foster parentsRelatives raising childrenChildren under 5
Home Visiting is a free, relationship-based program for families who are pregnant or have children under 5, at home or by telehealth. Child Care Assistance helps pay for child care for families at or below 400% of the federal poverty level who are working, in school or looking for work. The Family Nutrition Bureau supports nutritious meals. Family Infant Toddler (FIT) offers early intervention for infants and toddlers with qualifying developmental delays or disabilities.
City or county of Santa Fe, ages 55 and olderRelatives raising children
Get paid back up to $200 a year per household for out-of-pocket costs such as medical services, food and clothing for the children in your care. You’ll need proof that you are actively caregiving and providing financial support.
Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Las Cruces, Santa Fe and Rio ArribaRelatives raising children
Outcomes, Inc. (Albuquerque and Rio Rancho) offers monthly support groups with childcare, grandparent counseling and quarterly Grandparent University workshops. Methodist Children’s Home Grandparents as Parents (Albuquerque and Las Cruces) offers case management, advocacy and help getting basic needs met, and does not require custody or guardianship. Las Cumbres (Rio Arriba and Santa Fe counties only) offers monthly support groups, education and a yearly conference.
NationalRelatives raising children
A free step-by-step guide for grandparents raising grandchildren.
You’re not doing this alone. These are the people and programs that keep foster families going.
Online, FacebookFoster parents
A private, confidential Facebook group for foster parents. Search for “New Mexico Foster Parents Working Together.”
New MexicoTeens and young adultsFoster parents
Supports New Mexico’s children in protective custody and helps youth aging out of care without a family with education, personal needs and life-skills training. Offers one-time scholarships and financial support for youth in care.
Albuquerque area, ages 14 to 25Teens and young adults
Youth take classes on budgeting, building credit and setting goals, then open a bank account with support from NMCAN staff and volunteer coaches. $100 to start saving, plus a savings match of up to $3,000 toward a car, rent, a laptop and more.
New Mexico
Support, training and tools for families and youth with disabilities or complex medical needs, from early childhood through school and healthcare. Includes IEP and special education advocacy.
Programs change. Call or check with the program before you go, and confirm eligibility. This page was put together by NM Child First Network from materials published by CYFD, Presbyterian Turquoise Care, the NM Aging and Long-Term Services Department, the Office of Family Representation and Advocacy, the Office of the Child Advocate, NM State Parks, NM Game and Fish, and community partners. Last reviewed November 2026.
Providers listed on this page are for your information only. NM Child First Network does not endorse any provider, and provider details can change. Ask your child’s MCO Medicaid care coordinator for the latest information.
Know a resource we should add, or see something wrong? Email Maralyn@nmchildfirst.org.
Every child deserves the best.