Jump to content
decocker

Maryland 'Free Range' Kids: The Police Timeline of Events

 Share

50 posts in this topic

Recommended Posts

He added: "We must ask ourselves how we reached the point where a parent’s biggest fear is that government officials will literally seize our children off the streets as they walk in our neighborhood. The Meitivs intend to fully vindicate their rights as parents and to prevent this from happening to their children again."

Earlier this year, the Meitivs were "found responsible for unsubstantiated child neglect" by state Child Protective Services after they were investigated for allowing the children to walk home alone from the neighborhood park about one mile from their home, authorities said.

http://news.yahoo.com/maryland-free-range-kids-police-timeline-events-172531482--abc-news-topstories.html

so when exactly should the state step in and 'take' children from their parents, can we get some sort of federal agency to police parenting so we're all on the same page or something?

Edited by val erie
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Canada
Timeline

Man this is nuts. My oldest would walk home from school at 7 yrs old I thought he was too young but he wanted too. I asked a few older kids to watch him but he didn't know that or any other adults.

Spoiler

Met Playing Everquest in 2005
Engaged 9-15-2006
K-1 & 4 K-2'S
Filed 05-09-07
Interview 03-12-08
Visa received 04-21-08
Entry 05-06-08
Married 06-21-08
AOS X5
Filed 07-08-08
Cards Received01-22-09
Roc X5
Filed 10-17-10
Cards Received02-22-11
Citizenship
Filed 10-17-11
Interview 01-12-12
Oath 06-29-12

Citizenship for older 2 boys

Filed 03/08/2014

NOA/fee waiver 03/19/2014

Biometrics 04/15/14

Interview 05/29/14

In line for Oath 06/20/14

Oath 09/19/2014 We are all done! All USC no more USCIS

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Man this is nuts. My oldest would walk home from school at 7 yrs old I thought he was too young but he wanted too. I asked a few older kids to watch him but he didn't know that or any other adults.

i think it's interesting that it's okay if a child 13 or older is accompanying the younger child. in my experience it's better to have a 7-8 year old who's capable of some level of autonomy as opposed to a relatively helpless 7-8 year old being watched by a 13 year old. most 13 year olds rarely make good decisions 100% of the time..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Crazy stuff. Kids in my neighborhood are out playing with one another all the time. Can't imagine why people should not be allowed to let kids be kids. All that overly protective behavior is insane.

i like how the cop was going to give the kids his lunch (because kids can't go more than 4 hours without food, lol) but the kids were like, we have food allergies, so the cop didn't 'share his lunch as planned'.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Canada
Timeline

i think it's interesting that it's okay if a child 13 or older is accompanying the younger child. in my experience it's better to have a 7-8 year old who's capable of some level of autonomy as opposed to a relatively helpless 7-8 year old being watched by a 13 year old. most 13 year olds rarely make good decisions 100% of the time..

Well that might be the case if it was any kid and who said anything about a 13 yr old?

But I do understand what you mean, she only watched him for about a week so I was sure he could find his way without me.

Edited by Ontarkie
Spoiler

Met Playing Everquest in 2005
Engaged 9-15-2006
K-1 & 4 K-2'S
Filed 05-09-07
Interview 03-12-08
Visa received 04-21-08
Entry 05-06-08
Married 06-21-08
AOS X5
Filed 07-08-08
Cards Received01-22-09
Roc X5
Filed 10-17-10
Cards Received02-22-11
Citizenship
Filed 10-17-11
Interview 01-12-12
Oath 06-29-12

Citizenship for older 2 boys

Filed 03/08/2014

NOA/fee waiver 03/19/2014

Biometrics 04/15/14

Interview 05/29/14

In line for Oath 06/20/14

Oath 09/19/2014 We are all done! All USC no more USCIS

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Denmark
Timeline

7/8 year olds walk home from school here and to the playground and stuff themselves. Sometimes my daughter's 6-8 year old friends just show up in our backyard. LOL.

It is kind of weird that some things are acceptable in some parts of the country, but not others.

3/2/18  E-filed N-400 under 5 year rule

3/26/18 Biometrics

7/2019-12/2019 (Yes, 16- 21 months) Estimated time to interview MSP office.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well that might be the case if it was any kid and who said anything about a 13 yr old?

But I do understand what you mean, she only watched him for about a week so I was sure he could find his way without me.

"Maryland law says that children younger than 8 must be under the care of a person who is at least 13, according to Child Protective Services."

i was referring to this, imo simply knowing a child is 13 years of age really speaks nothing of maturity or ability to care for a younger child.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7/8 year olds walk home from school here and to the playground and stuff themselves. Sometimes my daughter's 6-8 year old friends just show up in our backyard. LOL.

It is kind of weird that some things are acceptable in some parts of the country, but not others.

it's the same here. some 5-6 year olds walk home from school without an adult or older child. there are kids who are allowed to roam within certain streets in town, then you have kids who aren't even allowed in their own backyard without parental supervision.

Well that might be the case if it was any kid and who said anything about a 13 yr old?

But I do understand what you mean, she only watched him for about a week so I was sure he could find his way without me.

at 13, i was certainly capable of watching younger kids. but my son, now at 13? i wouldn't put him in charge of anyone but himself.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry, I can't say I agree with sending a 6 and 10 year old to the park by themselves. Being out in the front yard, okay, if the house was on the park, okay, if they got to walk down the street out of eye sight and you can't poke your head outside the door to see where the kids are, no.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry, I can't say I agree with sending a 6 and 10 year old to the park by themselves. Being out in the front yard, okay, if the house was on the park, okay, if they got to walk down the street out of eye sight and you can't poke your head outside the door to see where the kids are, no.

do you think that this should be considered neglect though? if i let a 6 and 10 year old go to the park across the street from my house should they be taken from my custody? and how is the foster system an improvement?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Canada
Timeline

I think this needs to be up to the parent, within reason. Within reason meaning 'do the parents actually know where the kids are?' saying a kid can't walk anywhere without adults makes it harder for them to learn and internalize personal responsibility. At nine, my family let me run wild at music festivals as long as I kept them updated on my whereabouts. I often had a walkie talkie. My siblings were less responsible than me and they were older when they were allowed to run wild, maybe ten or eleven. Before that, even when I was nine or ten, I would be given responsibility over a group of younger kids, taking them to the food village for food or going to the play areas with them. Sometimes I was even put in charge of older kids.

Some kids are ready, some aren't and that needsto be up to the parent, who knows the child, not the state.

Met in 2010 on a forum for a mutual interest. Became friends.
2011: Realized we needed to evaluate our status as friends when we realized we were talking about raising children together.

2011/2012: Decided we were a couple sometime in, but no possibility of being together due to being same sex couple.

June 26, 2013: DOMA overturned. American married couples ALL have the same federal rights at last! We can be a family!

June-September, 2013: Discussion about being together begins.

November 13, 2013: Meet in person to see if this could work. It's perfect. We plan to elope to Boston, MA.

March 13, 2014 Married!

May 9, 2014: Petition mailed to USCIS

May 12, 2014: NOA1.
October 27, 2014: NOA2. (5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day after NOA1)
October 31, 2014: USCIS ships file to NVC (five days after NOA2) Happy Halloween for us!

November 18, 2014: NVC receives our case (22 days after NOA2)

December 17, 2014: NVC generates case number (50 days after NOA2)

December 19, 2014: Receive AOS bill, DS-261. Submit DS-261 (52 days after NOA2)

December 20, 2014: Pay AOS Fee

January 7, 2015: Receive, pay IV Fee

January 10, 2015: Complete DS-260

January 11, 2015: Send AOS package and Civil Documents
March 23, 2015: Case Complete at NVC. (70 days from when they received docs to CC)

May 6, 2015: Interview at Montréal APPROVED!

May 11, 2015: Visa in hand! One year less one day from NOA1.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think this needs to be up to the parent, within reason. Within reason meaning 'do the parents actually know where the kids are?' saying a kid can't walk anywhere without adults makes it harder for them to learn and internalize personal responsibility. At nine, my family let me run wild at music festivals as long as I kept them updated on my whereabouts. I often had a walkie talkie. My siblings were less responsible than me and they were older when they were allowed to run wild, maybe ten or eleven. Before that, even when I was nine or ten, I would be given responsibility over a group of younger kids, taking them to the food village for food or going to the play areas with them. Sometimes I was even put in charge of older kids.

Some kids are ready, some aren't and that needsto be up to the parent, who knows the child, not the state.

this is the problem, what's within reason? i was raised by a helicoptor mom, my husband was raised that kids belong outside, and he spent his childhood roaming his suburb with his friends. so, to my mom - his parents were completely neglectful. i would argue that his parents did more to prepare him for real life than mine did.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

do you think that this should be considered neglect though? if i let a 6 and 10 year old go to the park across the street from my house should they be taken from my custody? and how is the foster system an improvement?

If it is right across the street or within eye distant, no problem.

Child neglect charges if they are down the street and around the corner, yes, or a warning. Foster home, no. Not an improvement.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If it is right across the street or within eye distant, no problem.

Child neglect charges if they are down the street and around the corner, yes, or a warning. Foster home, no. Not an improvement.

the school is across the street, but the park isn't within view as it's down the hill a bit.

i had a friend kill herself over being charged with child neglect last fall. i think child neglect should be reserved for actual neglect. i'm biased i guess but i believe parents can't be judged so swiftly "oh your kid is in the middle of the street and you didn't know? neglect." i don't believe it's that cut and dry.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
- Back to Top -

Important Disclaimer: Please read carefully the Visajourney.com Terms of Service. If you do not agree to the Terms of Service you should not access or view any page (including this page) on VisaJourney.com. Answers and comments provided on Visajourney.com Forums are general information, and are not intended to substitute for informed professional medical, psychiatric, psychological, tax, legal, investment, accounting, or other professional advice. Visajourney.com does not endorse, and expressly disclaims liability for any product, manufacturer, distributor, service or service provider mentioned or any opinion expressed in answers or comments. VisaJourney.com does not condone immigration fraud in any way, shape or manner. VisaJourney.com recommends that if any member or user knows directly of someone involved in fraudulent or illegal activity, that they report such activity directly to the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. You can contact ICE via email at Immigration.Reply@dhs.gov or you can telephone ICE at 1-866-347-2423. All reported threads/posts containing reference to immigration fraud or illegal activities will be removed from this board. If you feel that you have found inappropriate content, please let us know by contacting us here with a url link to that content. Thank you.
×
×
  • Create New...