ATLANTA – Georgia’s child welfare agency has vowed to work more closely with the local consulate general of Mexico when a Mexican national – or a child of a Mexican national – is in state custody.

Tom Rawlings, the interim director of the state Division of Family and Children Services, held a joint press conference Wednesday with Javier Diaz, Mexico’s consul general in Atlanta, to sign a memorandum of understanding.

“The truth is that family came long before borders so we need to make sure that we are preserving those families whenever possible and preserving those family relationships,” Rawlings told reporters gathered at the consulate’s office.

In a time when national headlines are focused on family separations at the U.S.-Mexico border, the newly inked agreement between Georgia and the Mexican consulate deals with families already living here who are separated when a parent is detained or deported. Diaz said the agreement had been in the works for more than two years.

The document outlines protocols for quickly notifying the consulate when a Mexican national or a child of Mexican nationals is in its custody and for working together to locate relatives or, when appropriate, return the minor to Mexico.

Rawlings said he hopes similar agreements can be made with the local consulates for El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras – other major countries of origin for those who immigrate to Georgia.

The former head of the state Office of the Child Advocate, who easily switched to Spanish when responding to a Spanish-speaking reporter’s questions, said both sides are focused on the outcome that best serves the child’s interest.

“It is not a question of whether the child is better off here in the United States or in Mexico necessarily,” Rawlings said. “It is what is best for this child in this circumstance, given the situation that he or she faces.”

The protocols outlined in the agreement are not new, but Rawlings said the agreement is meant to put renewed emphasis on the importance of the coordination.

Diaz said it is particularly important his office is brought in early to inform local officials and judges in the decision-making process. He said his office has at times been notified late in the process.

Diaz’s office has been involved in 35 child custody cases during the last three years, including five last year involving 13 children. Most of those cases originated from the metro Atlanta area, but Diaz said he could not provide specifics. Many of the cases were resolved by reuniting the children with family in Mexico.

“We are not about necessarily taking the child to Mexico,” he said. “We’re about making sure that the court has all the available information to make the best decision.”

Jill Nolin covers the Georgia Statehouse for The Valdosta Daily Times, CNHI’s newspapers and websites.