1) A Biblical Perspective

 

Parents — not the state — are given authority by God to raise and instruct children (Deut. 6:7; Prov. 22:6).

• Illinois schools already promote Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE) and LGBTQ+/gender ideology that conflict with Scripture.

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• School-run evaluations by those aligned with these ideologies can affirm sin while labeling biblical convictions as harmful.

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Placing your child’s mental health evaluation in the hands of people aligned with these ideologies opens the door to counseling and “support” that affirms sin rather than Scripture.

 

These screenings can be used to push children toward choices and identities that violate God’s design for male and female (Gen. 1:27), while framing biblical values as harmful or unsafe.

2) How Screenings Undermine Parental Rights

 

Disagreement with school conclusions (e.g., refusing name/pronoun changes or medicalized “transition”) can be documented as “emotional neglect/abuse”.

• Such records may trigger DCFS involvement, restrict parental decision-making, or be used to remove a child from the home.

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• Screening results can follow a child in school and medical records, shaping future interventions without your consent.

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​This is not speculation — Illinois already has a history of using “child welfare” claims to override parental judgment in cases involving gender ideology.

• See: OCR Launches Investigations into Illinois DOE, the Chicago Public School District 299, and Deerfield Public Schools District 109 Over Reported Title IX Violations

3) Medical & Privacy Concerns

 

Mental illness diagnoses cannot be “cured” in the traditional sense; labels often follow children for life.

• Long-term consequences:

  • limits on employment,

  • military eligibility,

  • Second Amendment rights, and

  • college/career access.

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• Routine screenings risk pathologizing normal childhood emotions — especially when interpreted through an ideological lens.

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• This law could push more children onto prescription medication without medical oversight, as screenings are run by the State Board of Education, not licensed healthcare providers.

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• Teachers — not parents or doctors — are given referral power, often targeting children they are “concerned” about.

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• This process can flag so-called “troublemakers”, a pattern especially dangerous for Black students already facing disproportionate discipline.

4) Disproportionate Impact on Black Families in Government Schools

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Government schools have a long history of disciplinary bias toward Black students, and mandatory mental health screenings risk magnifying this injustice.

 

School-to-DCFS Pipeline:

• Black students in Illinois public schools are 3–4× more likely to be suspended or expelled than their white peers (ISBE discipline data, 2022).

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• “Disruptive” or “defiant” behavior—often subjective—can trigger not only school discipline but also referrals to mental health screenings under the new law.

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• Teachers and staff, not parents or medical providers, will have referral authority—meaning a student labeled a “troublemaker” could be flagged for screening without parental consent.

 

Illinois‑Specific (DCFS, 2023 reports)

• Black children are overrepresented in foster care relative to their share of Illinois’ population.

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• Of the children in foster care in Cook County, 67.1% are Black, though they make up 23.7% of all children in the county.

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• Statewide, 15.3% of children are Black, but of the children in foster care statewide, 38.4% are Black.

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• The poverty rate for Black children in Illinois is 34%.

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• Black families are more likely to be investigated and substantiated for neglect — often linked to poverty/systemic bias, not actual abuse.

 

Sources:

• https://socialwork.illinois.edu/story/taking-on-racial-disproportionality-in-the-child-welfare-system/)

• https://www.chicagobusiness.com/equity/illinois-dcfs-child-welfare-racial-disparities