The Maine Department of Health and Human Services’ (Maine DHHS) Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) introduced a new “LGBTQI+ Policy” in October 2023 directing caseworkers to affirm children’s “gender identity,” shield information from parents, and to facilitate children’s access to “gender affirming” sex change hormones and surgeries, according to a copy of the policy obtained by the Maine Wire.
The policy was developed in coordination with the Maine Medical Center and Northern Lights Hospital’s Gender Clinics, which both provide “gender affirming” hormone therapy to children.
“The LGBTQI+ Policy acknowledges that OCFS respects all affirmed gender identities and gender expressions of children, youth, young adults and families they work with,” the OCFS policy states.
“When a caseworker is working with a child who expresses that they are, or may be, LGBTQI+ the caseworker will assure the child that they will support the child in their feelings and self-identification,” the policy reads.
As part of supporting a child’s “assertion of their LGBTQI+ identity,” OCFS caseworkers directed to “use the child’s expressed names and pronouns,” and are required to discuss with the child whether or not they want information regarding their “gender identity” to be shared with others — including their parents.
The policy goes on to require caseworkers “not to share information without the child’s consent, aside from the child’s caregiver, unless it is to ensure the child’s safety”:
“In situations where the caseworker believes disclosure is necessary to ensure child safety over the child’s objection, the caseworker will consult with their supervisor as well as with the child about whether there are alternatives to disclosure.
If there are none, they will first inform the child to whom the information will be disclosed, what will be disclosed, and why the information needs to be disclosed.”
In the case of children who are under DHHS custody and are put in “out of home placements,” caseworkers must ensure that those placements “are consistent with and supportive of the child’s expressed sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression,” the policy states.
[RELATED: Maine DHHS Announces New Child Welfare Director, Vows “Rapid Management Audit”…]
“Resource parent(s)” in out of home placements are required to have a discussion with a child’s OCFS caseworker regarding “their ability to support the child in their sexual orientation, gender identity, or exploration of those aspects of themselves.”
Placements in sex segregated facilities, such as a residential facility or hospital setting, must also be scrutinized by a OCFS caseworker to ensure it is “affirming of the child’s sexual orientation and gender identity.”
What is considered “affirming” under the policy is to allow children to “express their LGBTQI+ identity” by their clothing, accessories, and hair styling, to use their “expressed names and pronouns,” and to allow them to participate in educational or extra-curricular activities “in accordance with their gender identity.”
Under the OCFS policy, children will be placed in a facility in accordance with their “gender identity whenever safe and possible.”
Caseworkers are required to seek a placement change for a child if the facility in which they are placed is not adequately “supportive of the child’s identity.”
The policy also directs OCFS staff to “facilitate access to affirming services” for the children with whom they work.
“Affirming services,” under the policy, refer to any assessments, evaluations, psychosocial assessment, medical treatment, and interventions from medical providers.
Caseworkers are required to refer “LGBTQI+” children to a medical provider to consider whether they require “gender affirming medical care.”
[RELATED: MaineHealth Insider Sounds Alarm: Trans Kids on Hormones Frequenting ER for Self-Harm…]
Parents are required to be informed of the request for referral or evaluation under the policy, expect in cases where “parental rights have been terminated.”
The “gender affirming” care includes puberty blocking medication, sex change hormones such as estrogen and testosterone, menstrual suppression medication, and androgen blocking medication.
If a parent object to their child receiving the “gender affirming” medical services, the policy states that the “OCFS Director has the legal authority to consent for the medical referral/evaluation of the child in DHHS custody.”
OCFS may consider genital surgeries for children with intersex characteristics, for the purpose of resolving “significant functional impairment” or removing “imminent and substantial risk of developing a health- or life-threatening condition.”
The policy states that elective sex change surgeries will not be performed for children in DHHS custody “without the parent(s) informed consent and approval by the OCFS Director.”
[RELATED: Sex-change Surgeries, Paid for by Taxpayers, Rising Sharply in Maine…]
“Culturally competent services may be offered to children and adolescents to assist them in making a decision regarding elective surgery,” the policy reads.
Additionally, OCFS caseworkers are told to connect and provide “LGBTQI+”-identifying children with access to “social support groups, books, apps, and other resources as available.”
Child welfare supervisors and caseworkers, along with other OCFS staff, were required to complete a “LGBTQI+ Policy Quiz” to ensure that they read and understand the new policy.
The Maine Legislature’s Judiciary Committee is set to hold a work session Thursday on LD 1735, a controversial bill that would block law enforcement from reuniting children from out-of-state with their parents if they were brought to Maine to receive sex change medication or surgeries.
[RELATED: Maine Could Become Sanctuary for Out-of-State Minors Seeking Sex Changes…]
Last year, Maine Gov. Janet Mills signed into law a bill that allows 16-year-olds to obtain puberty blocking medication and sex change hormones, even if the minor’s parents have objected to hormonal interventions.
“Nuts”
I suspect that this will not end well for those who facilitate this. Protecting children is a parents first job, and many will without reservation give up their own life to protect their children. I believe this will be the hill to die on for many on both sides of this issue, albeit for differences reasons.
It is sad and gross, when they use the word child or children in this case. Children do not possess the capacity to make these life/body altering choices to themselves. Why can’t they wait until they are adults, at least until they are 21? They can’t even buy a pack of butts or a six pack of beer until 21, but can alter their bodies to another sex. Trust me, are a woman, more estrogen is not what you want. Read up on that, and learn the harm it can do to woman as it is. This is so crazy. Please God in Heaven, bring back Trump!
If you take a child to have their ears pierced, a parent is required to sign a waiver. This occurs throughout a child’s life. Now Maine Democratic legislators think they know best. The rights of parents across the United States are being taken away to push the LGBTQXYZ agenda to push children into their way of thinking. This has nothing to do with the welfare of the child. Although this states “There are no medical interventions for a child who has not yet started puberty, the article goes on to state puberty begins typically in children 8-12 years old. One question – who is paying for this? Is this another agenda that the tax payers (namely you & I) are being forced to accept? It appears that parents consent is only needed when elective surgery is mentioned – is that because the State will go after the parents insurance company? This is wrong on so many levels! And to think LD 1735 us a bill to “block law enforcement from reuniting children from out-of-state with their parents if they were brought to Maine to receive sex change medication or surgeries.” Contact your legislators NOW and tell them you don’t agree. This means someone could kidnap a child from New Hampshire, bring him/her to Maine claiming to be for sex change medication, etc and the police can’t help the distraught parents find their child? This is insanity at the worse! Leave the children alone! We don’t want these WOKE ideas in our state!
Mutilating children and others in exchange for money.
Talk about selling your soul to the devil
When my wife died from being treated with Remdesivir when she had Covid-19 almost three years ago, I suspected it may have been a deliberate act. After doing extensive research into the Fauci Cabal and now learning that doctors and hospitals are willing to provide sex change surgeries on children in addition to full-term abortions, I am 100% convinced she was murdered. Democide in my mind.
All of our institutions have been corrupted by an evil, hard-Left ideology that I never thought was possible and the medical industry is definitely no exception. This is a deliberate attempt by the LGBTQW(Whatever) advocates to destroy the nuclear family and substitute it with the government which is a fundamental component of Marxism. There is nothing they won’t do to achieve their delusional utopia…but they won’t get away with it!
If you want to know what I think, read Kathy’s comment. I agree 100%.
I contacted my representative in Augusta, Democrat Mike Tipping, and he told me it was just a rumor that LD 1735 allowed Maine to take children away from out of state parents if they made it to the state line. When I replied with an email quoting the bill where it says just that, he replied that he checked on it and the language in the bill is under revision.
I hope it’s not just the language of the bill that is being revised, but the actual bill itself.
We at least have to let them know we’re watching. So as Kathy suggested, contact your representatives.
Artclubmovie.com
An evil agenda. Call your reps
First do no harm. The State of Maine will be sued and Maine will lose big time. Janet Mills is an evil.
Update on LD1735
Mike Tipping, my representative in Augusta, has informed me that LD1735 has been voted down in committee.
Parents are legally and morally responsible for their children not some kooky activist case worker. Subjecting a child to these unproven experimental procedures is sick and depraved. There are no medically approved procedures or treatments for transgender kids. Why would anyone subject a child to these experiments which aren’t reversible over a fantasy that over 90% of kids outgrow.
A real governor could fix this in a flash and make both sides happy. Pass a law stating that any and all gender changing/affirming providers need to carry a 10 million dollar insurance policy for each under age patient they service, keeping the money in escrow. The money will be used for future reversal procedures, counseling or compensation for mental or physical hardships caused by gender reassignment. Sadly we have no governor.
The State is going to be in court again and be paying out $$$
Dr. Mengle would approve but this will not end well. There really are people who are coming after your children.
We’ve captured your children’s hearts, minds, and now their bodies. We’ve even passed laws that prevent you from even knowing about what they are doing behind your backs. Defeating Mainers is like taking candy from a baby.