The New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department plans to open a new home for foster kids in Las Cruces, a proposal that has faced criticism by plaintiffs in an ongoing legal case, who cite the suicide death earlier this year of a teen boy at an Albuquerque home and other concerns.

Department spokesperson Jake Thompson said the agency understood the concerns about congregate care for children and youth and is “deeply disturbed by the death of any child in our care.”

However, the new facility would present a short-term solution for children who otherwise have nowhere to stay but department offices, he said, referring to a practice that also has drawn criticism among child welfare advocates.

The agency does not have a cost estimate for the home, has not signed a contract and does no

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