After the Lavons’ church preached a sermon about child training, some embittered ex-members of the church heard about it. They then twisted it out of context and accused the Lavons and numerous other families in the church of excessive corporal discipline. To defend the Lavons, Heritage Defense fought the system all the way to court. […]
Tag: government-harms-children
Child “blows up” Santa. CPS investigates.
“Santa is dead,” 6-year-old Noah Kemp* announced grimly. The other young children at tumbling class looked at him in surprise. This was not a very merry sentiment. “No, he’s not!” someone piped up. “Yes, he is!” Noah shot back, “He came down the chimney, so I blew him up.” A few little boys seemed impressed, […]
Member Story: Medical neglect for transferring to a new hospital?
“Should you feed her that? We don’t think her body can handle it.” Jason and Amy Hawkins* watched helplessly as the pediatric hospital staff started the feeding tube. Their 16-year-old daughter Alyssa had cystic fibrosis and standard hospital protocol did not meet her dietary needs. But the hospital would not listen. “How much are you […]
Top News: Mandatory reporting laws are a failure
When a person has a suspicion that a child is being abused or neglected, laws in every state require members of certain professions—and sometimes everyone—to report those suspicions to law enforcement or child protective services. On its face, this seems like a good idea. But it has actually been counterproductive to the original intent of […]
COVID-19 Vaccines for Schoolchildren
Though few people are talking about it anymore, a question raised over the past several years remains: will states require the COVID-19 vaccine for school-aged children? The answer is that it depends on the state. A few states have already published their immunization requirements for school children for the 2023-24 school year, but most have […]
Holding False Reporters Accountable
Bearing false witness against one’s neighbor is an act so grievous that God explicitly prohibited it in the Ten Commandments. Being falsely accused of doing something wrong is serious business. It is especially dangerous when it means you could lose your liberty or your children. It seems obvious that false reporters of child abuse or […]
Member Story: “Their dog bit my child, then they reported us to CPS.”
At times, relationships with neighbors can be complicated. Relationships with the neighbors’ pet can sometimes be even more so, like it was for Amanda Fairfield.* When the neighbor’s dog harassed and eventually bit one of her children, Amanda called the police. Afterwards, the family moved on with life, little anticipating that the issue would resurface […]
Member Story: Church children’s ministry calls CPS on parents
One bright Friday morning, Courtney Caddo* took her two daughters, two-year-old Mia and five-year-old Ella, to a park day with lots of other parents and children from their church. While Ella played on the playground, Courtney was at a picnic table visiting with five other parents while Mia played next to her. At one point, […]
Vaccines for Homeschoolers…in your state?
Nothing can spark controversy quite like the question of vaccines, especially since COVID-19. Individuals, families, and even legislatures can all disagree on the wisdom, efficacy, and necessity of vaccines. While everyone is free to have their own opinion on the subject, no one should be allowed to force others to share their opinion. Unfortunately, most […]
Member Story: Hasty reporting leads to visits by CPS and police
This member story was originally published by Heritage Defense in 2018. Mrs. Aaron* was at home with her children one afternoon when she heard a knock at the door. When she opened the door, she was met by two social workers from child protective services (CPS) and one law enforcement officer. When Mrs. Aaron asked […]