As used in the Family Services Act:

A. "child or family in need of family services" means a family:

(1) whose child's behavior endangers the child's health, safety, education or well-being;

(2) whose child is excessively absent from public school as defined in the Attendance for Success Act [22-12A-1 to 22-12A-14 NMSA 1978];

(3) whose child is absent from the child's place of residence for twenty-four hours or more without the consent of the parent, guardian or custodian;

(4) in which the parent, guardian or custodian of a child refuses to permit the child to live with the parent, guardian or custodian; or

(5) in which the child refuses to live with the child's parent, guardian or custodian; and

B. "family services" means services that address specific needs of the child or family.

History: 1978 Comp., § 32A-3A-2, enacted by Laws 1993, ch. 77, § 64; 2005, ch. 189, § 26; 2019, ch. 223, § 15.

The 2019 amendment, effective June 14, 2019, revised the definition of "child or family in need of services" to include a family whose child is excessively absent from public school; and in Subsection A, added a new Paragraph A(2) and redesignated former Paragraphs A(2) through A(4) as Paragraphs A(3) through A(5).

The 2005 amendment, effective June 17, 2005, in Subsection A(1), defined "child or family in need of family services" to mean a family whose child's behavior endangers the child's health, safety, education or well-being; deleted former Subsection B, which defined "family needs assessment"; in Subsection B, defined "family services" to mean services that address needs of the child or family; deleted former Subsection C(1) through (10), which listed service that where included in the former definition of "family services" and deleted former Subsection D, which defined "plan for family services" as an intervention plan based on the needs of the child and family.