George Leventhal’s Statement on Free Range Parenting Case (VIDEO)

UPDATED At his weekly briefing on April 13, Montgomery County Council President George Leventhal read a statement about the latest developments in the “free range” parenting case in Silver Spring. Watch it here:

Council President George Leventhal’s statement follows:

“This morning in the HHS Committee, which I chair, I asked department director Uma Ahluwalia for an update on the situation involving the Meitivs, which has been reported extensively in the media this morning.

“When a call is made to the police to report that children may be unattended or unsupervised, protocol requires that the police must respond. After responding, police are required to call Child Protective Services, and it is the responsibility of Child Protective Services to communicate with the parents. It is my understanding that the required protocol was followed in this case. State privacy laws prevent a detailed discussion of the case by the Department Director or any HHS workers who are privy to details of the case.

“What I can tell you is that our Department of HHS is working with State to determine the timeline of events and to ensure that all appropriate steps were taken in this case. As the father of two sons, I can relate to the feeling of concern you get when your child doesn’t check in as expected. I am thankful that these children were found safe and that the family has been reunited.”
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Free Range Parenting Couple Cleared in Second Neglect Case

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The county’s Child Protective Services has dropped neglect charges in the second case against a Silver Spring couple at the center of the “free range parenting case.” According to a news release from the couple’s lawyer office, CPS has dropped all cases against the couple. Danielle and Alexander Meitiv received a letter from CPS on June […]

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Free Range Parenting Couple Cleared of Neglect

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UPDATED: The county’s Child Protective Services has dropped neglect charges in one case against a Silver Spring couple at the center of the “free range parenting case, but the couple now is planning a civil suit against the agency and the Montgomery County Police in the case. Danielle and Alexander Meitiv have been notified that charges […]

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Silver Spring Group To Host "Take Your Kids to the Park... And Let Them Walk Home by Themselves" Day

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A Silver Spring free-range parenting advocacy group is organizing a Day in the Park event where parents can take their children to the park and let them walk home by themselves. The initiative is part of a national celebration in honor of the Meitiv family- Silver Spring parents Danielle and Alexander Meitiv who made headlines across the […]

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Council Receiving Dozens of Emails on 'Free-Range Parenting' Issue (VIDEO)

Montgomery County Council President George Leventhal reports that County Councilmembers have received many emails about the ‘free-range parenting’ case and the issues surrounding it. For more information, see our earlier coverage below.

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Councilmembers Seek Clarification on Unattended Children Procedures (VIDEO)

Free range parenting is a hot topic in Montgomery County and around the country. Local leaders say they are hearing from residents on both sides of this issue and two elected leaders are trying to learn more. Montgomery County Council President George Leventhal and Councilmember Marc Elrich want to understand the policies and procedures that […]

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Councilmembers Raise Questions about "Unattended Children" Calls and Procedures (VIDEO)

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Montgomery County Council President George Leventhal and Councilmember Marc Elrich are raising questions about response procedures for calls to police about an unattended child. In a memo dated April 16, the Councilmembers pose 16 questions to Police Chief Thomas Manger and Health and Human Services Director Uma Ahluwalia. “The recent responses by the Montgomery County […]

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Five Things to Know Today, April 15, in Montgomery County

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It’s tax day! Here are five more things to know today, April 15, in Montgomery County: 1. E-cigarette Tax: The County Council is considering an excise tax on e-cigarettes. 2. Free Range Parenting: The Meitivs vow to fight; read their latest statement here. 3. Health Warning: State officials are warning consumers of lead issues in […]

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Meitivs Vow to Fight, Statement Released Today

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Montgomery County residents Danielle and Alexander Meitiv say they will fight what they describe as the “unlawful seizure” of their two children on Sunday afternoon in Silver Spring. The parents who have made national headlines for their free range parenting style have released the following statement from their attorney, on Danielle’s Facebook page today: “On […]

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Five Things to Know Today, April 14, in Montgomery County

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Here are your five things to know today, April 14, in Montgomery County: 1. Free Range: The parenting style of a Montgomery County mom and dad is making headlines across the country this week after their two children were picked by police as they walked down a street in Silver Spring unsupervised on Sunday. You […]

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Police Release Non-Emergency Call in the Case of Free Range Parenting (AUDIO)

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Montgomery County Police have released the non-emergency call that came in at 4:58 p.m. on Sunday about the welfare of two children in the area of Fenton and Easley streets in Silver Spring. Police are not releasing the identity of the caller. MyMCMedia has exclusively obtained the recording of that call and you can listen […]

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Aline Barros

About Aline Barros

Aline Barros is a multimedia reporter and community engagement specialist with Montgomery Community Media. She can be reached at Abarros@mymcmedia.org and on Twitter at @AlineBarros2.

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