Candelaria to cover child welfare, CYFD for 'New Mexican'

Jun. 21—The New Mexican will be stepping up its coverage of child welfare and juvenile justice in New Mexico and the state Children, Youth and Families Department with some help from a national journalism nonprofit.

Esteban Candelaria, a Report for America corps member, will step into a new reporting position Monday at the newspaper.

"I'm thrilled to be on board with The Santa Fe New Mexican and Report for America," Candelaria said in an email. "I was born and raised here in New Mexico, and have spent the last two years telling the stories of my community. I look forward to doing that here, and especially to covering such an important beat."

An Albuquerque native with family in Northern New Mexico, Candelaria previously covered education for the Albuquerque Journal.

In that job, he wrote everything from "accountability stories about the state education department's administration of services for students to stories about the proliferation of guns in Albuquerque schools," Report for America said.

Before that, he covered courts and criminal justice at the Colorado Springs Gazette.

"Child welfare is a huge issue in this state and we're excited to partner with Report for America to give readers a better idea of the challenges and potential solutions," New Mexican editor Phill Casaus said. "The added bonus is Esteban's reporting acumen and background. As a native New Mexican, he'll hit the ground running and be a wonderful addition to our news report."

Report for America, a national service program that helps place reporters in mostly small, local newsrooms across the country, is paying part of Candelaria's salary for the first three years. The rest will be paid by The New Mexican, in part through donations from the community. Report for America's goal is to create permanent positions for corps reporters in their newsrooms.

"New Mexico's children face massive problems, but the state agency charged with ensuring their welfare has been beset by chronic failure," Report for America said, adding Candelaria will cover the Children, Youth and Families Department "but also explain why New Mexico cannot fix the problems facing its youngest citizens."

Learn more about Report for America at reportforamerica.org.