re: Utah passes 'free-range parenting' law

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I don't understand what the law actually does. If you want to let your child walk alone to school now you can. The law surely isn't going to mandate that you are required to do that...so what exactly does this accomplish?

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Looks like it basically protects parents from legal/criminal investigation when some overly-concerned third party freaks out about a nine-year-old walking by themselves. Yes, you're correct in that parents can let their kids walk alone now, but this prevents authorities from even looking into the matter.

I'm sure there have been lots of cases all over the country where some random person sees a kid walking by themselves, stops them and finds out their name, and then calls 911 trying to be a hero. Then authorities are obligated to look into the matter, and the parent has to explain themselves to the police. That shouldn't have to happen.

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She explained that the new bill states that it won't be considered negligent by authorities, who cannot start an investigation, if a parent lets their child walk outside alone, play without supervision or allows them to wait in the car without an adult.

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I don't understand what the law actually does. If you want to let your child walk alone to school now you can. The law surely isn't going to mandate that you are required to do that...so what exactly does this accomplish?

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it stops the cops from showing up to your house and charging you with child neglect because you allow your kids to go play in a park down the street alone

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I don't understand what the law actually does.

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There have been dozens of parents that have had CMS investigate them, and in some cases, bring charges or take their kids away for simply letting them roam around neighborhoods unsupervised.

This protects those families by saying children don't have to be supervised all the time.