https://reason.com/2026/01/16/she-let-her-6-year-old-ride-to...
The good news is that many states has passed laws specifically to make this type of parenting legal.
"Georgia, Florida, and Missouri join eight other states that have adopted Reasonable Childhood Independence' laws.
...
"These bills establish clear exceptions to the statutory definitions of neglect and abuse in state laws, ensuring that parents cannot be penalized for allowing their children to engage in regular activities such as walking to the store, playing outdoors, or staying home alone under reasonable circumstances. State laws will still prohibit clearly harmful neglect or endangerment. However, these “reasonable childhood independence” bills reassure parents that they will not face a significant run-in with law enforcement for permitting their child to pursue healthy, independent activities." [1]
So, it seems there is growing and effective opposition to such a trend.
[1] https://reason.org/commentary/new-georgia-florida-and-missou...