04/21/2026
📢 Important Update for Families with Minor Clients
At Family Counseling Services, we want to keep our community informed about changes that may impact your care.
Due to a new Idaho law, Idaho House Bill 822 (effective July 1, 2026), there are updated requirements around confidentiality and parent communication when working with minors.
What this means in simple terms:
• In certain situations, therapists are required to notify parents/guardians within 72 hours
• This includes disclosures related to gender identity or requests for social transition (such as name/pronoun changes or use of gender-specific spaces)
• In these cases, confidentiality cannot be maintained, even if a minor requests it
Additionally:
• Parent/guardian consent is required before providers can support certain transition-related requests in treatment
Our approach at FCS:
We remain committed to:
✔ Being transparent about confidentiality from the start
✔ Supporting minors in navigating conversations with parents
✔ Providing respectful, professional, and nonjudgmental care
✔ Walking alongside both clients and families through sensitive topics
We understand this is a complex and personal area. Our goal is to balance legal requirements with compassionate care for every family we serve.
If you have questions about how this may impact services, please reach out to your provider or contact our office.
