A Maryland couple in Silver Spring recently became the subject of national news after an investigation was launched into them letting their children walk home alone from a nearby playground. The parents were being investigated for neglecting their children after allowing their 10-year-old son and six-year-old daughter to walk home by themselves in December from a playground that is about a mile away from their home.

Danielle Meitiv, the mother of the two children, said that she finds it ridiculous that she is being investigated for neglect, and that growing up in Queens in New York, a much more dangerous area and time, her parents expected her and her siblings to walk home alone all the time. She said it’s not so much a philosophy that she has that leads her to let her children walk home alone, it’s just that she never even considered that it was abnormal or irresponsible.

Leading the investigation is the Montgomery County Child Protective Services. The afternoon that the children walked home, they were stopped by police officers to ask if they were lost. The officers drove the children home, and several hours later a representative from CPS arrived to tell the family that the children would not allowed to be unsupervised during the investigation, or else the children would be taken into CPS custody.

The Meitivs allege that CPS interviewed their children without their knowledge, presence or permission. They still have not been granted an in-office meeting with CPS. Danielle Meitiv says that there was a real threat that CPS could take her children.

Child custody issues can be incredibly complex, so it’s important to secure dependable legal counsel before you get started. Speak with a skilled La Plata child custody attorney to learn more about your legal rights and options.