{"id":32417,"date":"2026-03-06T06:48:50","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T11:48:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/federal-agency-tells-states-parents-rights-come-first-in-gender-identity-disputes\/"},"modified":"2026-03-06T06:48:50","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T11:48:50","slug":"federal-agency-tells-states-parents-rights-come-first-in-gender-identity-disputes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/federal-agency-tells-states-parents-rights-come-first-in-gender-identity-disputes\/","title":{"rendered":"Federal Agency Tells States: Parents&#8217; Rights Come First in Gender Identity Disputes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1772797728360.png?resize=1920%2C1080&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-32416\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1772797728360.png?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1772797728360.png?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1772797728360.png?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1772797728360.png?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1772797728360.png?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>Federal health officials have issued new guidance to state governments across the nation, making it clear that children cannot be removed from their homes simply because parents disagree with their child&#8217;s desire to identify as a different gender. The Department of Health and Human Services distributed the directive to all 50 states following scattered incidents where such family separations have reportedly occurred. The Trump administration is taking action to prevent these situations from spreading further. According to HHS officials, &#8220;Parents have the right to raise their children according to their religious beliefs.&#8221;<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The federal Department of Health and Human Services has issued guidance to all 50 states prohibiting child removal from families solely based on parents&#8217; stance on their child&#8217;s gender identity choices. The directive comes as scattered incidents across the country have prompted federal intervention to protect parental authority.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":32416,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[833],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1772797728360.png?fit=1920%2C1080&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-8qR","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":63356,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/federal-government-begins-canceling-passports-for-delinquent-child-support\/","url_meta":{"origin":32417,"position":0},"title":"Federal Government Begins Canceling Passports for Delinquent Child Support","author":"Admin","date":"May 7, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The State Department has started canceling U.S. passports for parents who owe substantial child support payments, beginning with those owing $100,000 or more. The program will soon expand to include anyone owing more than $2,500 in unpaid support, potentially affecting thousands of Americans.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;U.S. News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"U.S. News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/us-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778186403083.jpg?fit=1000%2C658&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778186403083.jpg?fit=1000%2C658&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778186403083.jpg?fit=1000%2C658&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778186403083.jpg?fit=1000%2C658&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":58056,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/supreme-court-wont-hear-florida-parents-school-gender-policy-case\/","url_meta":{"origin":32417,"position":1},"title":"Supreme Court Won&#8217;t Hear Florida Parents&#8217; School Gender Policy Case","author":"Admin","date":"April 27, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The nation's highest court declined to review a lawsuit by Florida parents who challenged their school district's policy of not telling parents about students' gender identity changes without the child's permission. The case involved a middle school in Tallahassee where parents claimed officials violated their constitutional rights by supporting their\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Politics&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777299810923.jpg?fit=450%2C338&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":74031,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/trump-backs-study-recommending-fewer-childhood-vaccines\/","url_meta":{"origin":32417,"position":2},"title":"Trump Backs Study Recommending Fewer Childhood Vaccines","author":"Admin","date":"May 29, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"President Donald Trump issued an executive order Friday supporting a federal study that recommends reducing the number of vaccines given to American children. The directive tells federal agencies to align their policies with the January report, which found the U.S. recommends more childhood vaccines than many other countries.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Health&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1780105062373.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1780105062373.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1780105062373.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1780105062373.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":26681,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/over-a-dozen-states-file-lawsuit-against-trump-over-child-vaccine-policy-changes\/","url_meta":{"origin":32417,"position":3},"title":"Over a Dozen States File Lawsuit Against Trump Over Child Vaccine Policy Changes","author":"Admin","date":"February 24, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"More than a dozen states have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's decision to scale back childhood vaccination guidelines. 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