Under Investigation for Walking Home from School

 

Six and ten year old neglected for walking home and parents are being investigated by CPS.   The parents are advocates for "range free parenting" which means they allow their kids to play freely and don't believe in helicopter parenting.  They allow their children to venture freely but too far of course.  They want to give them the childhood they experienced and enjoyed.  A time where kids were free to play outside alone.  But walking home from school, the police picked up the children after someone reported them walking alone.

Their mom a climate scientist and their father a physicist, these parents aren't dummies and put a lot of thought into allowing their children walk home from school freely.  They also know child abduction is a rare event and car fatalities are a common event.  They feel walking home is safer and indeed it is.  Well, the lecture from the police wasn't enough.  Child protect services were summoned to investigate if the children were properly supervised.  In their state,  children younger than 8 must be supervised by at least a child older than 13 in dwellings, enclosures and vehicles.   The father initially refused to talk with CPS until his lawyer was present, but CPS threatened if they didn't comply they would remove the children.  He talked!

The CPS said they wanted to follow up with another "home visit".  The mother didn't want to cooperate with the 'home' visit as she felt violated as this was a community concern not related to the care in the home. Eventually they agreed to an office visit.  I'll have to follow up on this story,  but most likely it will be removed without removal??.. most likely, I'm not so sure anymore.