53-year-old New Mexico foster mother Hope Graciano has had a litany of charges leveled against her, and she is currently in booked into the San Juan County Adult Detention Center on charges of abuse of a child causing great bodily harm, two counts of abuse of a child, and intimidation of a witness. Once again we, Robert and Kathey Raskin, are left wondering what is the New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department thinking? How are these monsters slipping through the cracks and being approved as foster parents?
Abuse, Starvation, and Neglect
Graciano is accused of beating an 11-year-old foster child with a bed frame because he did do his homework problems correctly. After Graciano brought an 11-year-old foster child who was in her care to the hospital this past September 25th, her story seemed suspicious to hospital staffers. The foster mother claimed the child fell while he was practicing soccer, but his injuries were not consistent with the woman’s report. The child’s injuries were serious enough that they had to be airlifted to Albuquerque to be treated at the University of New Mexico Children’s Hospital. At that time, the boy, who had black eyes and a skull fracture, mouthed, “Help me,” to hospital staff. Officers received search warrants to investigate the home, and an investigation was initiated, which turned up evidence of abuse, starvation, and neglect.
Graciano’s other foster children were interviewed and removed from the home, so now New Mexico’s CYFD will place the children in new homes. Graciano was hired by a contracted agency, and she has been a foster parent for two years. How many children she abused during this period remains to be seen. Hopefully they decide not to place the children they removed from this home with yet another abusive caregiver, but as far as we, Robert and Kathey Raskin can tell, CYFD doesn’t seem to be able to tell the difference.