A Maryland couple has been found responsible for “unsubstantiated” child neglect for letting their children walk home from a park by themselves.
The children of Danielle and Alexander Meitiv — ages 10 and 6 — were picked up by police while walking home alone, sparking a two-month long investigation by Montgomery County Child Protective Services (CPS).
The decision means that the county’s CPS will keep a file on the family for at least five years, according to the Washington Post. The couple plans to appeal and Danielle has said that playing outside “is exactly what kids should do.”
The authorities have previously cited a Maryland state law that says kids under the age of 8 should be with someone who is at least 13 years old. CPS is required to respond and investigate if a citizen or law-enforcement member calls them with a concern about the safety of a child.
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