Parents of free-range kids not neglectful

In a victory for proponents of free-range parenting, Danielle and Alexander Meitiv have been cleared in the second of two child neglect cases brought against them by Montgomery County Child Protective Services in Maryland. The couple had been in conflict with CPS over their having allowed their two children, ages 10 and 6, to play at a park and then walk home alone.

On June 13, the Meitivs, who live in Silver Spring, received written notification from CPS that they had been cleared in regard to an April 12 case in which their children were picked up while walking home from a park and held by authorities for five hours. Immediately following that incident, the parents announced that they were planning to sue CPS for unlawful seizure of their children.

The parents were cleared of neglect in May on appeal in the case of a December incident in which they similarly allowed their children to be outside unsupervised.

“A child playing outside or walking unsupervised does not meet the criteria for a CPS response absent specific information supporting the conclusion that the child has been harmed or is at substantial risk of harm if they continue to be unsupervised,” the Washington Post quoted a Maryland Department of Human Resources spokeswoman as having written in an email explaining why neglect had been ruled out in the second of the cases involving the Meitivs.

Earlier this month, DHR clarified its directive to CPS with regard to intervening when children are outside alone, saying that CPS should only get involved when a child is either hurt or at risk of being harmed.

While the family is pleased that both cases were ruled in their favor, Danielle Meitiv told the Post that she was still wary. “I feel like we won’t know for sure if real progress has been made until our kids go for a walk and come home safely without being bothered,” she said.

“I’m hoping we can now all breathe a little easier. It is going to be harder for any CPS officials to charge parents with neglect when it comes to letting kids walk or play outside, now that we all know exactly how this case panned out…and how ridiculous it was in the first place,” wrote Lenore Skenazy, founder of the Free-Range Kids movement on her blog upon hearing the Meitiv’s good news.

“Kudos to Maryland for swallowing its pride and admitting this was never a case of bad parenting or endangered kids. And in honor of this historic day: Send your children outside!” she encouraged parents.