UPDATE: Children Allowed to Play Alone in Park, So Police Take Them

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UPDATED at 5 p.m.

The latest chapter in a struggle between a set of Maryland parents and authorities who question their practice of letting their children walk to an area park and other destinations alone, unfolded Sunday with the kids spending several hours in a police car.

The Meitivs of Silver Spring believe kids living in a city must be given the tools and confidence to safely navigate their neighborhood without their parents. That philosophy, known as free-range parenting, has already put the couple at odds with Montgomery County’s Child Protective Services, which said in February that Danielle and Alexander Meitiv had committed unsubstantiated neglect of their children for an earlier unsupervised trek to the park.

Authorities said then that the parents would have a file open for the next five years after they allowed Rafi, 10, and his younger sister, Dvora, 6, to walk home by themselves from a neighborhood park.

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When Rafi Meitiv saw a police car at his school last month, he ducked to hide, Danielle told Patch in an interview. The reaction happened after the youth saw his father threatened with arrest in December, even causing nightmares.

In this weekend’s episode, someone called police – as happened in two earlier cases – to report the Meitiv children were alone in a Silver Spring Park just a couple of blocks from home. The siblings were picked up by Montgomery County Police about 5 p.m. and turned over to the Child Protective Service, authorities told The Washington Post. Danielle says the children were released to their parents at 10:30 p.m. Sunday.

Rafi and Dvora were supposed to be home by 6 p.m., and when they didn’t return their parents began searching for them. Danielle says the police didn’t notify her or her husband that the children were in custody.

She wrote on Facbook Monday morning: “The police coerced our children into the back of a patrol car, telling them they would drive them home. They kept the kids trapped there for three hours, without notifying us, before dropping them at the Crisis Center, and holding them there without dinner for another two and a half hours. We finally got home at 11pm and the kids slept in our room because we were all exhausted and terrified.”

Once Danielle and Alexander signed a safety plan agreeing not to leave their children unattended the family was allowed to leave CPS, WUSA TV reports.

They do not plan to violate the terms of the plan and risk another seizure of their children, they said.

Danielle gave TODAY.com a statement that said, in part, “I never thought they were abducted by a stranger. Our first fear was, ‘Holy cow. Could the police have stopped them?’ I actually had a nightmare about this a month ago, but I didn’t think it would actually happen.

“The only people who have threatened or abducted my children were the people in CPS and the police, so I do not believe random people are a threat,” she said. “But I signed the safety plan and I’m not going to violate it. I’m certainly not going to risk them taking my kids again. We’re going to have to fight this in a different way.”

The Meitivs told Patch previously they hope to meet with a county supervisor to explain their parenting philosophy, but they will pursue all options. The first step is to appeal, which lawyers are working on.

Last week, the Meitivs said they’re filing an appeal to challenge the agency’s ruling of “unsubstantiated neglect.” An outcome on the appeal isn’t expected until summer.

A legal defense fund has been set up on the Causes.com website to help the family with legal bills; about $2,200 has been donated so far.

Raising Independent Children

Their children know they can roam around the family’s residential area – bounded by four busy streets – on foot or on their bikes. If they want to go to downtown Silver Spring, perhaps to visit Whole Foods or drop by the library, then they have to tell their parents.

Danielle grew up in New York City, learned to cross busy streets “because that’s what city kids do.” She said she would be remiss as a mother if her kids couldn’t cross busy Georgia Avenue safely.

Her son feels sorry for other kids who aren’t allowed to explore the neighborhood in which they live.

“We’ve presented this as a natural part of childhood. By protecting kids from really remote risks we expose them to greater risks, like car accidents, or obesity by not being active outdoors,” Danielle said. “We’re raising children who are terrified of the world we’re giving them.”

Timeline from Police

Late Monday afternoon Montgomery County Police released a timeline of their officer’s interaction with the Meitiv children and CPS. Both agencies continue to investigate the family, authorities said, so no decision has been made on whether to act against the Meitivs.

The officer met with the person who called 911 about 5:03 p.m., and was directed to the Fenton Street parking garage, where the officer found the children, according to a release issued Monday afternoon. The officer reportedly saw a homeless man he was familiar with watching the children.

After the officer identified the children, he notified his supervisors and then contacted Child Protective Services about 5:16 p.m., which is department protocol, authorities said. Under Maryland law, police officers aware of possible child abuse or neglect must contact Child Protective Services.

At about 6:10 p.m., the officer contacted another CPS employee for guidance. Police say the original CPS worker contacted the officer at 6:41 p.m. and said a decision was still forthcoming from the agency.

At 7:18 p.m., a decision was made to take the children to the CPS offices in Rockville. The officer was also told that Child Protective Services staff would notify the parents. The officer could not take Rafi and Dvora home until CPS had verified their safety, police said.

The officer and children arrived at CPS at about 7:43 p.m. The siblings told the officer they were hungry and thirsty, having last eaten hamburgers between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Because he had packed a lunch, the officer began to feed what he had with him to the kids until Rafi said that he and his sister have food allergies.

»PHOTOS: Screenshots from Danielle Meitiv’s public Facebook page of the family, and their children, Rafi, 10, and Dvora, 6.

SEE ALSO:

• Parents Who Let Kids Walk Home Alone Face Inquiry