A family in Glasgow, Montana is claiming they lost custody of their 14-year-old daughter, Jennifer, after expressing disapproval of her gender transition. According to reports from Reduxx, the Kolstad family accuses the state’s child protective services of “kidnapping” their daughter, who identifies as a boy. The parents, Krista and Todd Kolstad, were reportedly distressed when Montana Child Family Services conducted an inspection at their home after Jennifer expressed suicidal ideations at school in August 2023.
Despite the parents’ doubts about the veracity of Jennifer’s claims, they agreed to take her to the local hospital on an emergency basis. At the hospital, Jennifer identified as male and expressed a desire to be called “Leo.” The parents pushed back against this, requesting their child be called by the name on her birth certificate. The hospital stay was marked by discussions about “gender-affirming care,” and the family felt hospital workers undermined their authority.
During this time, Child and Family Services suggested specialized residential care for counseling and treatments, possibly involving moving Jennifer to Wyoming. The parents, distressed by the situation, researched Wyoming’s laws on transitioning minors and found concerns about procedures and hormones being administered without parental consent.
On August 22, the Kolstads were informed that Jennifer would be moved to Wyoming. The parents were taken aback, wanting their questions answered before accepting the move. Child and Family Services arrived at their home with police, serving them papers to take Jennifer out of their care. She was moved to Wyoming and later returned to Montana, placed in a Youth Dynamics group home, with “temporary legal custody” given to Child and Family Services.
On Jan. 19, a court decided to hand custody of Jennifer to Child and Family Services for six months, stating that letting her transition was in her “therapeutic best interest.” The Kolstads express concerns about Jennifer being placed with her birth mother in Canada, who has not been actively involved in her upbringing. The family feels their rights as parents have been trampled on, and they fear for Jennifer’s well-being within the system.