BOSTON — Fenway Health, Boston’s best-known LGBTQ clinic, has shocked the city’s progressive base by ending all puberty blockers and hormone treatments for children, citing new federal restrictions tied to its funding.

The change, effective October 1, ends gender-affirming medical treatments for anyone under 19. Fenway said the decision was driven by updates to federal health-center rules that determine its eligibility as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) — a designation that comes with strict compliance requirements.

In a statement posted to its website, Fenway said it had to adapt “to remain compliant and sustainable” under a shifting federal landscape. The clinic stressed that all other services, from primary care to mental health support, remain unchanged.

Parents of trans-identifying children told local outlets the decision has left families scrambling for alternatives. Some are turning to private providers, while others say they feel blindsided by the sudden reversal.

The move follows months of federal scrutiny over youth gender medicine, particularly after a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report earlier this year urged “psychotherapy and nonmedical interventions” as the first line of treatment for minors with gender dysphoria. Fenway publicly criticized that report at the time, calling it “deeply harmful.”

But with new compliance standards from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) — which oversees federally funded health centers — clinics like Fenway risk losing millions in federal support if they continue treating minors with hormones or puberty blockers.

Reaction across Boston was immediate. Activists called the decision a devastating blow to trans youth, while supporters of the change said the move was overdue and reflects growing concern over the long-term effects of medical transition in children.

Fenway Health has long been a cornerstone of Boston’s LGBTQ community and a national leader in gender-affirming care. The sudden halt marks a major cultural shift in Massachusetts, a state that has long prided itself on progressive medical policy.

For now, parents are left searching for options, and the debate over children and gender medicine — once viewed as a distant political fight — has arrived squarely in Boston’s backyard.