Child Welfare & Juvenile Justice Excellence Awards
Child Welfare & Juvenile Justice Excellence Awards
Since 2012, the Children’s Court Improvement Commission (CCIC) of the New Mexico Supreme Court has awarded Child Welfare & Juvenile Justice Excellence Awards to members of the Children’s Court community who have contributed significantly to their field and demonstrated outstanding dedication, leadership, knowledge, and integrity. The Excellence Award nomination form is circulated in the fall throughout the child welfare and juvenile justice communities of New Mexico. Anyone can submit a nomination. All nominees are sent a special invitation to the CLI and winners are honored during the annual conference.
Some of the proposed award categories are listed below:
- Protective Service Worker
- Tribal Social Service Worker
- Juvenile Justice Worker
- Behavioral Health Staff
- Contract Attorney [GAL, Youth Attorney, Respondent Attorney]
- Children’s Court Attorney in Child Welfare (CCA)
- Children’s Court Attorney in Delinquency
- Public Defender in Delinquency Matters
- State or Tribal Judge
- CASA Volunteer
- SCAC Volunteer (Formerly known as CRB Member)
- Resource Family Member
- Parent/Family Member
- Foster Youth Alumni
- Juvenile Justice Alumni
- Service Provider Agency/Organization
- Other (suggest your own)
Excellence Awards Nominations
Nominations for the 2026 Awards are closed.
View Past Award Winners
2026 Award Recipients
Attorney Award- Sarah Crecca
Behavioral Health Worker Award- “Kika” Frankie Lee Trujillo
Protective Services Worker Award- Ayanna Lorenzo
Protective Services Worker Award- Yolanda Castro
Juvenile Justice Worker Award- Bianca Padilla
Leader at CYFD Award- Isaac Casas
CASA Volunteer Award- Martia Glass
Non-Profit Service Provider Award- Megan Cederberg
Tribal Service Worker Award- Didra Humetewa
Youth with Lived Expertise Award- Heaven Valdez
Youth with Lived Expertise Award- Patrick Schaub
Parent with Lived Expertise Award- Alyssa Davis
Resource Parent Award- Helen Ulibarri
Resource Parent Award- Georgene Baca-Kirtley
Program Support Award- Chelsea Zubia
LGBTQ+ Ally in Behavioral health Award- Carol Montoya
Advocate Award- Maricella Frias-Guerra
Lifetime Achievement Award- Beth Gillia