Gender Care Clinic

The primary function of our interdisciplinary Gender Care Clinic is to support trans and gender diverse youth and their families in exploring gender identity and what that means for them.

Our clinic takes an affirming, non-directive approach to care that prioritizes safety, health, and well-being. It is a priority of our program to get to know each youth and their understanding of their gender identity, so that we can provide support as their gender journey unfolds over time. Through ongoing assessment and discussions, we support youth and their families in considering their gender related goals and needs.

The Gender Care Clinic (formerly Transgender Youth Clinic) at SickKids was originally created in October 2013. Over time, our team has expanded to include interprofessional team members who are best positioned to support the needs of our patients holistically. Presently, our team consists of:

• Endocrinologists
• Adolescent medicine physicians
• Nurse practitioners
• Registered nurses – intake coordinator and clinic nurse
• Social workers – assigned to support youth and families in our program
• Consulting psychologist
• Patient care coordinators

We strive to address the needs of our patients and families as fully as possible, however we are not able to provide ongoing mental health care or comprehensive social work support for concurrent mental health conditions through our clinic. It is important that if individual and/or family therapy is needed, you connect with local community mental health supports. It would be a good idea to do this prior to your initial visit if warranted. During your appointment, our team may suggest other community-based services that may benefit your family.

When coming to our clinic you may encounter professional trainees from different disciplines. The clinic offers valuable training to other medical and allied health care professionals, role modelling compassionate care, advancing scientific and clinical knowledge and preparing the next generation of leaders in the care of transgender and gender diverse youth.

Referrals to the Gender Care Clinic should come from a primary health-care provider and be submitted online. Learn how to refer a patient to our clinic.

Referral exclusion criteria:

• Pre-pubertal youth.
• Youth age 17 years+. Please refer to local adult provider.

For questions about the referral process please contact our Intake Nurse at 416-813-7654 ext. 415317.

For questions about appointments, call the Clinical Coordinator at 416-813-5097.

If any urgent medical or mental health crises arise, please access your local emergency room.

Your first visit will be an integrated visit including a medical provider on our team, as well as social workers; professional trainees may also be involved. Members of the team will meet first with the youth and parents/guardians together and then with the young person and parent/guardian separately. The focus of the first visit is to get to know youth and their family, identify expectations, and to develop an initial understanding of the adolescent’s well-being and gender identity. A plan for potential next steps may begin to be developed; however, even for those youth for whom medications may be relevant in the future, we do not prescribe medications at the initial visit. A new intake visit typically takes 2 – 2.5 hours.

Information you may find helpful

Rainbow Health Care  aims to help improve the health and well-being of LGBT2SQ+ people. 

GenderCreativeKids provides resources for supporting and affirming gender creative kids within their families, schools and communities.  

Central Toronto Youth Services (CTYS) is a community-based, accredited Children’s Mental Health Centre that serves many of Toronto’s most vulnerable youth. 

PFLAG Canada is Canada's only national organization that helps all Canadians with issues of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. PFLAG Canada supports, educates and provides resources to all individuals with questions or concerns, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. See website for local chapters. 

The Youth Line is Ontario’s provincial LGBT peer support and info line at 1-800-268-9688. 

Trans Care BC supports children and youth exploring their gender identity.