by Megan Brock
An Ohio child welfare agency created a “confidential spreadsheet” tracking the sexual orientation and transgender identity of children as young as 5, according to a document exclusively obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) created a database tracking the sexual orientation, transgender identity and pronouns of children that interacted with the child welfare system in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, featuring entries dated from March 2018 to the most recent entry on August 2024. The spreadsheet was part of their ‘Safe Identification’ program, which teaches social services staff how to collect information about the sexuality and gender identity of children.
In 2017, Cuyahoga County DCFS was one of four social services agencies nationwide chosen to research, develop and evaluate transgender ideology-based child welfare interventions that suggest parents and caregivers who do not affirm a child’s sexual orientation or gender confusion are unsafe and may need to have their children removed from their home. Members of the Biden-Harris administration called the Cuyahoga County group “trailblazers” and wanted to nationalize their model. The Cuyahoga County DCFS team influenced the recently finalized Biden-Harris rule which requires child welfare systems to validate and support gender confusion.
On the confidential spreadsheet, Cuyahoga County DCFS staff detailed how they helped children obtain sex-change drugs, purchased a chest binder for a “non binary” child and noted at least one tracked child was 5 years old. The document tracked if children were “transgender or gender diverse,” labeling them as pansexual, bisexual, gay, lesbian, straight, or “questioning” their sexual orientation. One entry for a boy listed as gay said: “Youth says his gay b/c his peers told him so.”
Nearly half the children in the confidential spreadsheet were listed as living outside of the foster care system in their “own home” with their parents. The spreadsheet notes if parents are “accepting” or “rejecting” of their child’s gender confusion. Some transgender activists view rejecting a child’s gender confusion, such as not letting a child cross-dress, as an act of abuse or neglect.
The spreadsheet was one of hundreds of documents reviewed during the DCNF’s investigation into the federally-funded transformation of the child welfare system into that rejects a male-female understanding of sex and instead teaches social workers, children, and families to proactively “affirm,” meaning to validate, support, and embrace gender ideology.
‘Very Appreciated’
Emails obtained by the DCNF show Cuyahoga County DCFS worked closely with the Biden-Harris administration to influence and “imbed” their work into new federal regulations requiring child welfare systems to validate the gender confusion of children. Julie Kruse, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) senior advisor, called the Cuyahoga County DCFS “trailblazers” for “creating better services and outcomes for LGBTQIA2S+ children and families in child welfare,” saying their work was “very appreciated” by the Biden-Harris administration.
“Thank you so much for all you do in being trailblazers to creating better services and outcomes for LGBTQIA2S+ children and families in child welfare, you are very appreciated at ACF,” wrote Kruse. “I would really love ACF leadership to see first hand what it looks like when folks address the challenges LGBTQIA2S+ youth face in care, and deal with the hard issues – data collection, organizational culture, etc. etc.”
The research was funded by a $10 million federal grant awarded to the University of Maryland School of Social Work from the Children‘s Bureau, an agency within HHS. The grant funded the creation of a research group cumbersomely-named National Quality Improvement Center on Tailored Services, Placement Stability, and Permanency for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, and Two-Spirit Children and Youth (QIC-LGBTQ2S) in Foster Care.
The QIC-LGBTQ2S sought to systemically transform child welfare systems by teaching social workers, children, and families to reject a male-female view of sex and proactively “affirm” — meaning to validate, support, and embrace — the gender confusion of children. Ways parents and staff can be LGBTQ “affirming” include using preferred pronouns, taking children to LGBTQ events, and supporting their desired sex-change.
The DCNF has written an in-depth report on the research interventions developed by the QIC-LGBTQ2S, which are being pushed by the Biden-Harris administration.
Kruse did not respond to the DCNF’s requests for comment. A press secretary for the Administration for Children and Families declined to comment.
‘Child Is 5’
In the spreadsheet, the Cuyahoga County DFCS staff noted if children had LGTBQ “affirming” parents or needed assistance to obtain sex change medications.
For example, one entry about a 5-year-old labeled as “transgender or gender diverse” reads: “Child is 5 y/o and has recently come out to the family. The family accept her and are reportedly supportive.”
Another entry notes: “Request for hormones submitted to Dr. to send in prior authorization to insurance. DCFS Director signed.” The spreadsheet does not list the child’s age.
One entry describes how the agency bought a chest binder, a garment that flattens female breasts, for a “non-binary” girl living with her parents.
“Youth is binding, new binders purchased by DCFS as old one broke. Youth is fluid in gender at times,” reads the spreadsheet.
Other notes describe a child engaged in a polyamorous relationship, having more than a single partner at a time, and another entry even notes a child identifies as a “furry” — a person who identifies as an animal. There are also columns to track if parents are engaging in services aimed at training them to validate and support their child’s chosen sexual orientation or transgender identity.
The most recent entry on the spreadsheet is dated Aug. 4.
‘Safe Identification’
The confidential spreadsheet was a part of the AFFIRM.ME program developed by Cuyahoga County DCFS through the QIC-LGBTQ2S research grant.
The AFFIRM.ME program is a practice model that provides a road map for child welfare systems to undergo a systemic transformation through a series of social services interventions that teach staff, youth, and parents to be LGBTQ affirming. As previously reported, these interventions include programs that train “non-affirming” parents to validate their child’s gender confusion and assist in finding children a “chosen affirming” family if their parents are not LGBTQ affirming.
Part of the AFFIRM.ME program is called Safe Identification, an intervention that proactively seeks to identify any LGBTQ youth that encounters the child welfare system, including those living outside of the foster care, and trains social workers to collect their sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression (SOGIE) data.
In April 2022, Cuyahoga County adopted a policy requiring all DCFS staff to collect SOGIE data from youth ages 13 and older using their SOGIE Disclosure and Safe Identification forms.
The policy states: “Cuyahoga County DCFS believes that all youth involved with the agency have the right to live in an environment that is both physically and emotionally safe. Youth in their own homes or in substitute care deserve to reside with affirming caregivers and other household members. We can help ensure this by safely identifying LGBTQ2S + youth and understanding their individual needs.”
The SOGIE Disclosure form specifies that staff members can have a gender identity conversation with children as young as 3 if they “are very aware of their gender.”
According to a 2022 report on the AFFIRM.ME program, the Safe Identification intervention was originally meant for use for youth ages 12-21 who were in the care of the state. However, the report notes the “age range was later changed to 5–21 years old to account for younger children disclosing diverse gender identity or expression and to include youth involved with DCFS, not just those in the care of DCFS.” It also notes that approximately 10% of all identified youth were under age 12.
This was seen as a “positive change” as is it created an opportunity to “provide services to families and youth not in agency care in an effort to keep them from entering agency custody,” according to the report.
Ohio State Representative Gary Click, who sponsored an Ohio bill banning pediatric sex change, disagrees that the AFFIRM.ME program is creating a “positive change” in Ohio.
“The policies of the Cuyahoga County DCFS are the ultimate in government grooming practices and must stop immediately—their ‘Affirm.Me’ program goes far beyond the role of government to ensure the safety of children and serves only to indoctrinate and discriminate against families whose values differ from their official government mandate,” said Click told the DCNF.
“Additionally, their belittling, discrimination, and attempted reprogramming of people of faith is hideous, un-American, and very likely unconstitutional,” Click said. “The legislature will not sit idly by while local government attempts to usurp the role of the family.”
“Emotional Harm”
“Emotional harm” is included in the Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act definition of child abuse and neglect. Some transgender activists believe that rejecting a child’s gender confusion, such as refusing to use a child’s chosen name or pronouns, causes emotional harm and is a form of abuse and neglect.
During an HHS webinar filmed last fall, one LGBTQ activist stated “transphobia is child abuse,” comparing it to denying a child food or access to school, the DCNF previously reported.
If a community member believes a parent is causing a child “emotional harm” by refusing to “affirm” their gender confusion, they could call the Child Protective Services Hotline and report suspected child abuse or neglect. In Ohio, after a report of suspected abuse or neglect is made, a CPS investigator will interview the child and family and determine if the child is being abused or is at risk for abuse. Then, they may refer the case to additional social services or criminal court, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services website.
Erin Friday, a California attorney and co-founder of the parent group, Our Duty, whose mission is to protect children from the harms of pediatric sex changes, told the DCNF it’s difficult for parents to fight accusations of emotional harm in court.
“A problem with emotional stress accusations is there is wide latitude or discretion at the trial court level,” Friday said. “So when a judge says ‘Yes, you’ve been emotionally abusive,’ it is very hard to appeal that because they have wide discretion.”
“Parents are losing custody of their children over a name and a pronoun. That should scare parents,” Friday added.
Friday submitted an amicus brief in the upcoming Supreme Court case United States v. Skrmetti, which could determine the future of pediatric sex changes in America. Friday told the DCNF the outcome of this case will have long lasting reverberations for the child welfare system.
“The basis of my brief was if Tennessee or if the Supreme Court finds that there is a discrete group called transgender kids, then every parent in the United States, every single one, who doesn’t affirm their child is at risk of losing custody of their child,” said Friday.
“Because it becomes de facto life saving, de facto standard of care. And so it’s massively important that we win this case,” Friday said.
In the brief, Friday described the potential consequences for parents who refuse to affirm their child’s gender confusion if pediatric sex-change is “deemed a constitutional right, in children’s best interests, or medically necessary,”
“Parents in custody disputes who refuse medical intervention may not be granted custody of gender dysphoric children, and non-affirming parents could be adjudicated emotionally abusive or medically negligent,” reads Friday’s brief.
‘We Have A Form’
The investigation of a child and family after a report of abuse or neglect provides Cuyahoga County DCFS staff members the opportunity to collect the SOGIE data of a child using their SOGIE Disclosure Form.
The form states that the conversation about the child’s sexual identity “should be done in a private setting,” emphasizing that keeping the disclosed information private is “utmost importance to the Division of Children and Family Services.” It further specifies that any information shared by the youth will not be disclosed to anyone else, which would include their parents, unless there is a safety concern.
Included on the SOGIE Disclosure form is a script that recommends social workers introduce themselves using their preferred pronouns, ask the child if they feel like a girl, boy, or “something in between,” and find out who the child has crushes on.
If a Cuyahoga County DCFS staff member discovers a child has a “diverse SOGIE,” which the SOGIE Disclosure form defines as “anything other than heterosexual, male or female,” the staff member fills out a Safe Identification form that asks the child if their parents or caregiver affirm their sexual or gender identity.
DFCS staff are instructed to send the Safe Identification form to Kori Sewell, a social services supervisor at Cuyahoga County Health and Human Services, who inputs the information into a secret database. Sewell previously said on a podcast that only she and her colleague could access the confidential spreadsheet.
“We have a form that we have staff fill out when they have a young person who identifies as LGBTQ. That form then comes to me, and I start logging that information into the confidential spreadsheet,” said Sewell on the podcast.
Sewell explained how the Safe Identification process helps them identify non-affirming parents and refer them to courses aimed at convincing them to accept their child’s gender dysphoria, if needed.
“I have a conversation with the staff around what the needs of the family are, what the dynamics are, we call that our triage, so that we can triage the case to see if it may qualify for a service,” said Sewell.
“We had Chosen Affirming Family Finding and The Youth Acceptance Project. Those two services were available to families that we were working with here at the agency, and so part of the triage process was to see if those families qualified for one of those services,” Sewell continued.
Chosen Affirming Family Finding (CAFF) is a social services intervention that places LGBTQ kids with “affirming” caregivers. The Youth Acceptance Project (YAP) works to re-educate non-affirming parents to validate their child’s LGBTQ identity and avoid having them removed from their care. The confidential spreadsheet contained several columns indicating if caregivers were engaged in ‘YAP’ services.
The DCNF obtained a series of communications showing Cuyahoga County DCFS team working with HHS officials from May 2023 to October 2023, providing input on how interventions likes Safe Identification could be implemented at the federal level.
Sewell did not respond to the DCNF’s requests for comment.
‘Insightful Meeting’
Emails indicate Julie Kruse, a Senior Advisor for LGBTQI+ Initiatives in the Biden-Harris administration, had an “insightful meeting” meeting the Cuyahoga County DCFS team on June 9, 2023, which lead to a July 7 call with the then-assistant secretary for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF).
In preparation for this call, Kruse sent the Cuyahoga County DCFS team a series of questions they should be prepared to answer, asking how their programs assure “transgender and nonbinary children” have access to binders and pediatric sex-change medical interventions. Kruse also asked how their data collection model was tied to providing “affirming” services.
The Cuyahoga County team put together a presentation agenda for the HHS call, which indicated they would explain why their program was “a promising model for replication” with “safe ID as foundation,” according to an agenda obtained by the DCNF.
After the call, the Cuyahoga County team thanked HHS for considering how to “imbed” their “life saving” work into policy.
The Cuyahoga County DCFS did not provide the DCNF with a comment.
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Megan Brock is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
