Free-range parents deemed responsible for 'unsubstantiated child neglect'

Since January, a mom and dad in Maryland have been trying to defend their "free-range" style of parenting after police confronted their children who were walking home from the park alone.

For two months, Montgomery County Child Protective Services investigated the case and now the parents, Danielle and Alexander Meitiv, have been deemed responsible for "unsubstantiated child neglect."

The Washington Post notes that the ruling means CPS will keep a file pertaining to the family for the next several years. The Meitivs plan to appeal that decision and say that they're still going to allow their children to walk home by themselves.

From the start, the couple has insisted they did nothing wrong. During a January interview, Danielle told TODAY, "We're amazed this has become a national conversation because we're just doing what our parents did or what was considered perfectly normal just one generation ago."

Danielle claimed her two children, aged 6 and 10, are happy they're able to take walks without an adult, as it gives them a sense of independence. She also believes it's perfectly safe for her kids to walk unsupervised and says fear of the world is what makes the issue so controversial.

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