Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the Michigan Senate that would redefine child neglect and abuse, allowing parents to give their children more independence.
One of the bill’s co-sponsors, state Senator Ed McBroom, says common sense needs to prevail when it comes to our laws.
“We are basically trying to legislate that common sense has been hurt by the state at times being too aggressive on abuse and neglect, and sometimes it’s neighbors and others who report these parents, and we want the state to be able to look at a situation and say this child who is ten years old is coming home from school where both parents are out, they’re coming home to an empty house, that’s not child abuse,” McBroom said.
The legislation would clarify that a parent can’t be charged with abuse for allowing their child to do something that most would agree is reasonable, like walking to school or going to a park.
