Families of Trans Children Are Being Reported to Social Services: What to Do If It Happens to You

In recent months, we've seen a disturbing rise in families being referred to social services simply for supporting their trans children's access to legal, gender-affirming healthcare. These families are navigating a system that often claims to act in children's best interests, but instead leaves parents fearful, silenced, and unsure if being honest will get them punished.

These are not isolated cases. Below, we share three stories from real families who have kindly agreed to share their experiences anonymously.

“We were open with the NHS, and they threatened to call the police”

“Our daughter was diagnosed with gender dysphoria eight years ago and had socially transitioned much earlier. Under NHS GIDS, we had a clear care plan: puberty blockers followed by hormones.

But when GIDS was closed in 2024, we were transferred to the new NHS Gender Service. The promised blockers trial kept being delayed. With our daughter’s distress growing, we turned to a private provider, the only remaining path to care.

We chose to be open about this with the NHS, assuming transparency would be met with support. Instead, the clinician warned us that starting treatment could trigger a safeguarding referral and even a police report, especially given our GP's known bias.

This conversation happened while our daughter was alone in another room doing psychological assessments. We, too, were asked to complete highly subjective questionnaires, which we rushed through just to get her out.

We left shaken. Despite knowing our actions were legal, we paused treatment, too scared to risk further escalation. Our daughter is now in limbo: unable to access NHS care and afraid to continue privately.

We are left asking: how can families be expected to choose between medical neglect and police involvement?”

“We were reported for taking our daughter abroad for legal treatment”

“R had been under GIDS for eight years and had always lived as a girl. When GIDS closed just as she hit puberty, we held out hope that the new NHS service and its upcoming puberty blockers trial might offer a path forward.

It didn’t.

After a frustrating experience with one private provider, we joined Anne Health. Their care was excellent, and with their support, we arranged for R to receive treatment abroad, which is fully legal under UK law. We told our GP, who was supportive, and ensured all her medical info was shared. We were honest because we had nothing to hide.

Then the call came. A school staff member had raised concerns about us "taking R abroad for illegal treatment." It triggered a referral to MARU (Multi-Agency Referral Unit). We had no idea what this meant, only that an investigation was now underway, days before our departure.

A solicitor kindly gave us a free consultation, explaining all the worst-case scenarios: travel restrictions, prosecution, accusations of abuse. We waited in fear.

Meanwhile, R had assessments at school. We were terrified her learning needs would be twisted to question her capacity. But we said nothing to her, we didn’t want to taint this milestone.

She received her treatment. She came home happy. Then finally: no further action.

But the damage was done. The stress, the fear, the complete loss of trust in professionals who were supposed to help, that stays with us. The only comfort is that our daughter never knew what was happening behind the scenes.”

“They questioned our son about his sister’s care, then reported us.”

“The day before Christmas Eve, we got the call. Our son had just had a CAMHS session, supposedly for his wellbeing. But the therapist used the session to ask about his sister’s access to puberty blockers. Our daughter wasn’t even under CAMHS care.

The therapist then reported us to social services. We were told they believed our daughter, who is just 11, was accessing medication online by herself.

The social worker came after Christmas. It was intrusive, humiliating, and deeply stressful. We had to explain ourselves, defend our parenting, and justify how we care for our children.

Eventually, the case was closed with no further action. The social worker said we had done what was best. But the emotional cost had already been paid. By all of us.

We had done nothing but try to support our daughter and protect our son. To be accused of putting them at risk was terrifying.”

What families need to know

Unfortunately, these stories are not one-offs. We’ve heard from numerous families caught in a system that criminalises compassion and treats informed parental care as a threat.

But you are not doing anything wrong. You are not breaking the law by supporting your child. And now, more than ever, it’s important to know your rights, and when to push back.

The legal position is clear:

• Supporting your child’s access to gender-affirming care is not illegal.

• NHS guidance is not law.

• Medication prescribed and supplied abroad for personal use is legal to possess and administer in the UK.

Legal advice commissioned by the Good Law Project confirms that:

• Social workers must act proportionately and cannot escalate action without clear evidence of significant harm.

• Family courts do not override reasonable decisions made by loving, informed parents.

• Referrals made out of political or personal bias may be challengeable.

Read Good Law Project’s full legal briefing by Simpson Millar.

If you’re facing this situation, know this:you are not alone. You are not doing anything wrong. And there is support available out there.