By Emmanuel T. Erediano
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
THE Department of Community and Cultural Affairs’ Division of Youth Services on Monday reported 98 new “child safety concerns” and two newborns who tested positive for methamphetamine in the first quarter of 2026.
In its fiscal year 2026 first-quarter data, DYS noted increases in child safety concern cases on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota compared with FY 2025.
DYS’s Child Protective Services shared the data “to help the community better understand the child safety concerns being reported and the work happening across Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.”
From October through December 2025 on Saipan, CPS received 91 new reports involving 278 children and 217 allegations. This is an increase from 478 cases in FY 2025 involving 1,320 children to 569 cases involving 1,598 children in the first quarter of FY 2026.
On Tinian, CPS reported three new cases involving seven children, up from eight cases involving 13 children in FY 2025. According to CPS, these new reports primarily involved educational neglect and drug concerns in the home, including substance exposure involving a newborn and parental substance use.
On Rota, there were four new cases involving 10 children, up from five cases involving 12 children to nine cases involving 22 children.
Many of the reports, CPS said, involved wellness checks, emotional and physical abuse, neglect, domestic violence, educational neglect, and drug concerns in the home. CPS also handled four cases involving child pornography and digital exploitation, which involve sexually explicit images or content of children shared online. These cases are immediately referred to law enforcement.
Substance exposure
Since the start of FY 2026, CPS has also responded to serious substance-exposure concerns, including two newborns who tested positive for methamphetamine at birth and one parent who tested positive for cocaine.
CPS noted that all substance-related cases require immediate safety checks and close coordination with partner agencies to ensure children are safe.
Understanding wardship
According to the CPS report, some cases rise to the level of wardship, which means the court has placed a child under its legal protection due to safety concerns. In these situations, CPS works closely with the court, families, and caregivers to ensure children are safe, stable, and receiving needed services.
From October through December 2025, CPS managed 20 wardship cases involving 43 children under court jurisdiction. CPS continues to prioritize keeping children with family whenever it is safe to do so, while also supporting approved foster parents in the community.
DYS Administrator Vivian T. Sablan said, “More and more families are reaching out to DYS for support, and we thank them for recognizing that we are here to help. This data shows why early support and intervention matters — and why we encourage families to ask for help before situations escalate.”
CPS Supervisor Mariah Manglona added, “Some of these numbers are hard to read, especially when substance exposure or online exploitation is involved. But sharing this information is important. It helps the community understand what CPS is seeing and why prevention, awareness, and reporting truly make a difference. I’m proud of our team across Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.”
Report and get help
Sablan and Manglona urged the community to report child safety concerns. For emergencies, call 911. To report concerns or reach CPS after hours, call (670) 237-1005 to 1014 or (670) 285-2780 or 2781 (on-call numbers).
Community members interested in learning more about the Foster Care Program, including kinship and foster parenting, are encouraged to contact DYS. The department remains committed to protecting children, supporting families, and working alongside community partners throughout the CNMI.
Emmanuel “Arnold” Erediano has a bachelor of science degree in Journalism. He started his career as police beat reporter. Loves to cook. Eats death threats for breakfast.
