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A Maryland couple is under investigation for letting their children walk home alone from a local playground, “The Kelly File” reported Thursday night. Danielle and Alexander Meitiv say their 10-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter were making the one-mile walk when they were picked up by police. Authorities gave the parents a speech about the dangers of the world, but it didn’t end there.
A CPS worker then showed up at their home and threatened to take the children away if the Meitivs didn’t sign a form saying that their children would remain under supervision. The children were then interviewed by social workers at school.
“The whole idea is that I’m raising my kids the same way that we were raised, the same way that almost every adult watching this was raised […] kids go outside, they’re best off outside playing with other kids. It’s not a crazy, radical idea, it’s actually a quite old-fashioned idea,” Danielle Meitiv told WTTG.
The kids also told the reporter that they feel safe and independent walking outside on their own.
CPS will not comment on active cases.
UPDATE: Danielle Meitiv, who was out of town when the incident occurred, said on “Fox and Friends” Friday morning that her husband had to agree in writing that the children would not be unattended “at all” until CPS could follow up.
“My husband said ‘I can’t sign anything, I want to talk to my wife [and] a lawyer.’ And she said ‘if you don’t sign this, we’re going to take the children right now’ and she called the police,” said Meitiv, who explained that her son has been walking on his own since he was seven.
Meitiv pushed back against those who question her judgment for letting her kids walk alone, saying for generations parents have taught their kids “independence.”
Elisabeth Hasselbeck pointed out critics who would argue that “it only takes a second” for someone to abduct a child who’s left alone.
“The risk is overstated. We really overestimate the danger,” said Meitiv. “We really underestimate our kids. The riskiest thing we can do with our kids is actually put them in a car. But we do that every day because we understand that some risks are worth taking. And actually, getting your child snatched is extremely unlikely.
She said her kids will “absolutely” walk to the park again.
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