Ryan and Kelly Kingston* were expecting their newest baby boy and Kelly wanted to have a home birth. Everything with the labor and delivery went smoothly. Baby John made his arrival on schedule, healthy and doing great. However, when Kelly’s bleeding did not stop, they immediately went to the ER. When the three of them […]
Tag: parental-rights
Author Durenda Wilson: “This happened to our family.”
“Have you ever wondered what you would do if CPS showed up at your door? This happened to our family a little over a year ago and today I’m telling our story.” In her recent podcast episode, Durenda Wilson, homeschool mom and author of The Unhurried Homeschooler and The Four Hour School Day, recounts her […]
Member Story: CPS came, then the police.
One evening, Eric and Ashley Mackenzie* were getting ready to put their three children to bed when they unexpectedly heard a knock on the door. Eric answered the door, and was shocked at what he heard. “I’m from the Department of Social Services, and we’ve received a report of neglect of your children.” The CPS […]
Member Story: We ended up in court
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. […]
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, […]
Newborn Blood Spot Screening and Parental Rights
Do I have to let the state health department have a sample of my baby’s blood? As if labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery were not enough to deal with upon a newborn’s arrival, there are also postnatal laws and regulations parents will encounter. One of these is the required newborn screening (NBS) process, which can […]
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 […]