Senate unanimously approves 'free-range parenting' protections
Bill also includes provisions for military families and paternity challenges
TOPEKA, Kan. — Parents who allow their children to engage in "age-appropriate independent activities" will no longer risk having them classified as a child in need of care, following a unanimous vote in the Kansas Senate.
The chamber voted 39-0 to concur with House amendments on Senate Bill 408. The legislation provides legal protection for what is commonly known as "free-range parenting," ensuring children who play outside or walk to school alone are not swept up in the child welfare system.
The wide-ranging family law bill also requires the secretary for children and families to create a memorandum of understanding with military organizations. It establishes a referral process for child-in-need-of-care cases involving military personnel, ensuring those families have access to military family advocacy programs. Additionally, the bill allows legal challenges to voluntary acknowledgments of paternity as soon as practicable if fraud, duress, or a material mistake of fact — such as genetic testing results — is discovered.
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