Most of us have fond childhood memories of walking, biking and playing with our friends or alone without parental supervision. This activity used to be considered a healthy, normal and desirable part of child development. Recent headlines show that times have changed, and parents who let their kids play at a park or walk a short distance from home are now being subject to investigation. This type of reaction is out of line, and even suspicious. According to an NCCPR report, the government has financial incentives for taking children out of homes and placing them into foster care.
A Maryland couple is being investigated for neglect after letting their 10-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter walk home alone one mile from a park. Previously, the children had walked alone to a nearby library and convenience store, and demonstrated their ability to walk without parental supervision.
Parents have lives, hobbies and jobs, and do not need to supervise their children 100% of the time. Children develop at different stages, and parents generally know what's best for their kids. The world is safer now with cell phones and surveillance devices, yet parents are losing the right to let their kids play and exercise on their own, all for the sake of safety. In cases like these, freedom and recreation are worth a small risk. Please sign the petition to urge Montgomery County authorities to leave these parents alone, and to concentrate their efforts on true abuse cases.
We, the undersigned, are concerned with your decision to investigate parents who let their 10-year-old and 6-year-old walk home alone one mile from a park. Walking and playing independently used to be considered a healthy, normal and desirable part of child development, and we believe it is inappropriate to equate the same activity today with child neglect.
The children in question had previously walked alone to a nearby library and convenience store, and demonstrated their ability to walk without parental supervision.
As you know, parents have lives, hobbies and jobs, and do not need to supervise their children 100% of the time. Children develop at different stages, and parents generally know what's best for their kids. The world is safer now with cell phones and surveillance devices, yet parents are losing the right to let their kids play and exercise on their own, all for the sake of safety. In cases like these, we believe freedom and recreation are worth a small risk. We respectfully urge you to leave these parents alone, and to concentrate their efforts on true abuse cases. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider our petition.
