..not the only incident.

https://reason.com/2026/01/16/she-let-her-6-year-old-ride-to...

Thanks for the example. A visit from the CPS and having a case on file is terrible. At least in this case there were no criminal charges and the child was not removed and they have some good pro-bono legal representation.

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...