Dear members-

AFCC’s mission is focused on improving the lives of children who are swept up in family conflict. Children are the innocent bystanders in the family law system, often voiceless as they are pulled through the process, and are at risk of harm from parental conflict. Simply put, children are among our most vulnerable members of society. And the most vulnerable members of that vulnerable population are under attack. The California Chapter cannot remain silent.

TRANSGENDER YOUTH

With the Skrmetti decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has effectively allowed states to discriminate against transgender youth and their parents, many of whom only want to be allowed to make evidence-based healthcare decisions that had previously been left to the families and their doctors. LGBTQ+ youth in general are at a disproportionally high risk for anxiety, depression, and suicide. Transgender youth are at even greater risk. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2024/#suicide-by-gender. The reality is that with the Skrmetti decision, more kids will suffer and more kids will die.

The Skrmetti decision upheld a Tennessee statute that prohibits all medical procedures used to treat gender dysphoria in minors.  By this statute, Tennessee minors who have been diagnosed with a serious medical condition are being denied the standard, approved treatments for this condition, even if both parents agree that the treatment is necessary and appropriate.  Left untreated, gender dysphoria is commonly known to cause disabling distress, including depression, anxiety, and even suicidality.

The ban includes all types of medications, in addition to surgical interventions (which are very uncommon with minors in any event). As stated in the statute: “For purposes of this bill, a ‘medical procedure’ includes both surgical procedures and the prescribing, administering, or dispensing of a drug or device.”  As of June 2025, 25 states have passed laws or policies banning or severely restricting medical treatment of gender dysphoria in minors, so the Skrmetti decision will have a far-reaching impact on this vulnerable group of children.

Doubling down on the cruelty of the Skrmetti decision, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) just announced that it was shutting down a national LGBTQ+ youth-focused suicide prevention hotline. After July 17, 2025, the national hotline will no longer offer referrals to counselors specifically trained to work with LGBTQ+ youth.

SPECIAL IMMIGRANT JUVENILES

Another highly vulnerable group of children who recently have been made all the more vulnerable are abandoned, abused and neglected immigrant children, including those who have been granted Special Immigration Juvenile (SIJ) status. As of June 6, 2025, U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) will no longer grant deferred action to people who have been approved for immigrant visas, but for whom these visas are not currently available. What this means is that SIJ children are at risk of immediate removal (formerly called deportation). The rescinded deferred action policy had been in place since March 7, 2022, but is now considered “not to be in the national or public interest.”
Prior to the recent rescission of the deferred action policy, once these children’s applications for SIJ received initial approval based on a state court predicate order finding that they had been abandoned, neglected, or abused by one or both parents, they applied for deferred status  of removal, and in appropriate cases, work permits while they waited the estimated 6-10 years (!) for an immigrant visa to become available. This was in line with the state court orders finding that it was not in the minors’ best interests to be returned to their, or the parents’, country of origin or last habitual residence since reunification with one or both parents was not viable.  These youth can only apply for their “green card” once the visa becomes available in 6-10 years.

Now, these children must live in fear of being involuntarily returned to a country that a state court has found is not in their best interest to return to. They are put at risk of trafficking and exploitation as well as severe mental and physical trauma. This will also mean loss of jobs, driver’s licenses for these youth once their current work permits expire since they will not be able to renew them.  This rescission affects new applicants as well those who were previously granted deferred action.

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These children are in our communities. They are in our cases. They are in our courtrooms. They should also be in our hearts. AFCC California sees these children. We will continue to spotlight the needs of these particularly vulnerable children through upcoming webinars and at our conferences. Pretending they don’t exist or don’t deserve attention only does further harm to those children and to their families, the exact opposite of AFCC’s mission.

Board of Directors
AFCC California