New Mexico CYFD Sued Over Death of 2-Year-Old from Fentanyl Overdose

The lawsuit filed in New Mexico accuses the state’s Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD) of negligence in the drug overdose death of a two-year-old boy, Ricky Renova, who died from fentanyl overdose in 2022.

The child had been born in 2020 with a drug addiction and tested positive for meth and opiates.

According to the lawsuit, despite concerns raised by nurses about the mother’s drug use, the CYFD sent the child home with Elisa Renova, his mother, who was supposed to follow a safe care plan.

The lawsuit claims that although the court had already removed Renova’s other two children from her care, CYFD failed to ensure that proper safeguards were in place for Ricky after his birth.

It further argues that a law passed in 2019 allowed babies born addicted to drugs to be placed with their mothers, but CYFD did not create necessary rules and oversight for such cases.

The death, which occurred two years later, is linked to the lack of action from the agency and a broader failure to address the opioid and fentanyl crisis.

CYFD did not comment on the lawsuit but mentioned that federal funding tied to a law from 2003 requires care plans for drug-addicted babies. The attorney representing Ricky’s estate, Matt Beck, argues that New Mexico should have followed tougher guidelines like those in other states to protect children from unsafe home environments.

 

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