Neglect Finding Dropped Against Free-Range Parents

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A Montgomery County couple threatened with the loss of their children after they were allowed to walk alone from a park says a neglect complaint against them has been dropped – and their attorney plans a lawsuit against police and county works.

Alexander and Danielle Meitiv of Silver Spring, MD, fought a finding of neglect by Child Protective Services after letting their son, Rafi, 10, and daughter, Dvora, 6, walk home alone from local parks.

In early April someone called police – as happened in two earlier cases – to report the Meitiv children were alone 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 10:30 that night.

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

The county agency in February determined that Danielle and Alexander Meitiv had committed unsubstantiated neglect of their children for an earlier unsupervised trek to the park.

The couple’s attorney, Matthew Dowd, told Patch that CPS is dropping the earliest complaints, but the agency’s investigation into the April incident is still pending.

Danielle Meitiv had said in an earlier interview that the earlier neglect finding meant CPS would keep a file open on the family for five years; that will now be closed with the new finding.

Dowd told Montgomery Community Media that CPS violated the Meitivs’ constitutional rights.

“We are moving forward with a civil action to make sure that this type of thing doesn’t occur again,” Dowd said. “There is strong Supreme Court court case law that a government agency can’t interfere with parenting responsibilities unless there is actual harm shown.”

Dowd said the civil case would be filed against CPS and Montgomery County Police for an unspecified amount of damages.

In a press release, the Meitivs say they are pleased with the new decision but concerned that CPS policy leaves a cloud over their family and others.

“This ruling confirms that we never exposed our children to a ‘substantial risk of harm,’” said Danielle Meitiv in the release. “Although we welcome the decision, we are concerned that CPS’s misguided policy remains intact. We fear that our family and other Maryland families will be subject to further investigations and frightening police detentions simply because our and their children have been taught how to walk safely in their neighborhood, including to and from school and local parks.”

The 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, put the couple at odds with Montgomery County’s Child Protective Services.

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.”

»Photo of the Meitiv family from Danielle Meitiv’s Facebook page

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