Health Department Says States Can’t Take Kids From Parents Over Gender Identity Disputes

‘Parents have the right to raise their children according to their sincerely held religious beliefs and moral convictions,’ a department official said.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at the Hubert H. Humphrey building in Washington on April 28, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

The Department of Health and Human Services has warned states against removing children from their homes because of disputes over their gender identities.

The department’s Administration for Children and Families (ACF) division sent a letter on March 3 to every state, outlining that child welfare agencies must base decisions on removing children on evidence of abuse or imminent risk of harm, per the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.