A Maryland couple, who was found “responsible for unsubstantiated child neglect” in March after allowing their two children to walk around their neighborhood unsupervised, have found themselves in trouble with Child Protective Services (CPS) yet again for their “free-range” style of parenting.

TODAYshow: ‘Free-range’ parents being investigated by Child Protective Services again http://t.co/0Ulo0dYbGZ pic.twitter.com/pTNZSI6SIe

— NBC fan (@NbcWashFan) April 13, 2015

Danielle and Alexander Meitiv drove their two children–Rafi, 10, and Dvora, 6–to the park to play about two blocks away from their house at around 4pm Sunday and told them to be home by 6pm. When 6:30pm rolled around and the kids still weren’t home the parents got worried and began to search for them. It wasn’t until after 8pm that the frightened parents were finally notified by social workers that their children were safe and with CPS 10 miles away in Rockville, Maryland.

A concerned citizen reportedly called 911 after seeing the kids playing alone at the park.  According to CBS News, ten-year-old Rafi stated that officers picked him and his sister up telling them they would drop them off at home. Instead, the two kids were brought to a CPS facility and held for hours. The parents were finally able to take their children home around 10:30pm, but not before first being forced to sign a safety plan stating that they will not leave their children unattended until CPS is able to follow up with the family.

The real question is whether the Meitivs’ parenting really warranted another call from Child Protective Services? If you go back a few generations the answer is most likely no.

According to Scott D. Sampson, author of “How to Raise a Wild Child,” “the average North American child currently spends about seven hours a day staring at screens, and mere minutes engaged in unstructured play outdoors.” That’s a dramatic difference from the “be home before the street lights come on” mantra of previous generations. Back then it wasn’t uncommon for kids to walk miles to school or go into town by themselves–now it’s unheard of.

A looming threat of “stranger danger” is one of the biggest culprits for this behavioral shift that has led to helicopter parenting. Lenore Skenazy, the founder of Free-Range Kids, who famously allowed her nine-year-old son to ride the New York Subway alone, perfectly describes the the new hovering norm stating:

A mom in an upscale Atlanta suburb won’t let her daughter walk out to the mailbox: ‘There’s just too much that could happen.’ Another mom was actually on the lawn with her kids, reading as they played, when a passerby yelled, ‘Put down that book! Your kids could be snatched at any time!’ And on a visit to Ikea, a grandmother waved at a cute four-year-old holding her daddy’s hand. ‘That lady SMILED at me!’ shrieked the girl. ‘Is she going to kidnap me?’

While some states do have laws in place designating acceptable ages for children to be left at home alone or in a car, some do not. This ambiguity leaves room for parents to decide what level of freedom is appropriate for their own children, with both age and maturity being the biggest considerations. While the Meitivs’ decision to allow their children to play two blocks from their home unattended did end in another bout with CPS, it hardly constitutes neglect or abuse, but rather shows trust. Promoting self-reliance in children, within reason of course, shouldn’t be a crime.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

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