Congressman Blake Moore Introduces Bill to Protect Parents and Promote Childhood Independence

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Blake Moore introduced bipartisan legislation to promote childhood independence and protect parents who allow their children to play outside unsupervised, get off screens, and develop social skills.

Representatives Jennifer McClellan (D-VA) and Virginia Foxx (R-NC) are original co-leads of this legislation.

Today, more than ever before, children are spending time indoors, on screens, and alone rather than playing outside and socializing with other kids. This has caused increased anxiety, depression, and a lack of social skills. A culture shift in parenting has created a fear of investigation, separation, and even arrest if parents choose to allow their child to play and explore unsupervised, even though such activity is a key part of children growing into competent adults.

A study by the Institute for Family Studies found that American kids spend enormous amounts of time online with very few significant restrictions. Yet they have very strict limits on their activities in the real world. The study also found that the key factor in determining whether or not children have rich social lives with their friends is simply how much freedom parents allow them.

The Promoting Childhood Independence and Resilience Act underlines state efforts, including in Utah, to promote a freer, healthier childhood. It clarifies the definition of "neglect" to ensure parents aren't punished for allowing independent play-a critical component of childhood development. This legislation also requires a study by the Department of Health and Human Services on how states can best empower parents; pushes states to train child welfare staff; and ensures that grants to states for child abuse or neglect prevention can be used to educate child welfare staff on the importance of reasonable independence activities.

"Neighborhood games, park days, errands, and bike rides with friends defined my childhood. Now raising my own boys, it's clear that parents are too often forgoing unstructured activities for youth in favor of indoor time on screens," Rep. Moore said. "We must restore the normalcy of outdoor exploration and protect parents who want to give their children more freedom to safely play unsupervised. While there are numerous pieces to this puzzle, we must ensure that parents aren't acting out of fear of a child welfare report or investigation. Parents shouldn't be judged for doing what is best for their kids; we need to make things easier on American parents, not increasingly harder. The Promoting Childhood Independence and Resilience Act ensures that reasonable unsupervised activities do not constitute child neglect and educates child welfare agencies about the salience of independent activity. It's time we empower parents to help the next generation play outside, get off screens, and learn independence and responsibility-just like my childhood memories, the time to come home is when the neighborhood parents yell, 'Come on home boys!'"

"In an increasingly digital world, our kids and teenagers spend less time exploring independent play and more time online," Rep. McClellan said. "The Promoting Childhood Independence and Resilience Act will help chart a new path forward by encouraging children to participate in reasonable independent activities, promoting time outside with in-person socialization. At a pivotal time for children's development, we must equip our next generation with the tools to thrive in adulthood."

"The formative years of a child's life are meant to help build skills and develop an intricate understanding of the world around them - those years are meant to be spent far from screens. Parents who seek to instill independence in their children, whether it be in routines or simple activities away from screens, deserve to do so freely and without outdated and incompatible child welfare standards threatening their parental rights. I'm proud to support the Promoting Childhood Independence and Resilience Act that will bring back a healthy dose of common sense to child welfare in our nation," Rep. Foxx said.

"'I'm not afraid of my kid getting kidnapped. I'm afraid of someone seeing my kid outside and calling Child Protective Services!' I hear that far too often from decent, loving parents. They've heard stories of parents investigated for letting their kids walk to the store, or go to the park. So they second-guess themselves even when they know their kids are ready to do some things on their own, including playing outside! Excess overprotection has been disastrous for kids' mental health. As independence has gone down, anxiety has gone up. There's a risk in trying to eliminate all risk. We've helped pass Reasonable Childhood Independence laws in 13 states, and this federal effort is an important step toward giving families the clarity and confidence they need. We're grateful to Reps. Moore and McClellan for their leadership," said Lenore Skenazy, President and Co-Founder, Let Grow.

"Reasonable childhood independence is important for kids to grow into self-reliant and problem-solving adults. Parents shouldn't be punished or investigated for letting their kids play in the yard or walk to school. Eight years ago, Utah passed the country's first law to explicitly protect families who give their children independence, and I'm glad to see Congress recognizing these state-level successes and supporting parental rights nationwide," Utah State Senator Lincoln Fillmore said.

"Throughout the country, parents have at least one thing in common: We all want our children to be safe. However, age-appropriate independence, such as a pre-teen taking a walk around their neighborhood alone, has led to undo child welfare investigations throughout the nation. As state lawmakers, we must find a balance between protecting our kids and allowing them the independence they need to develop socially and emotionally. Here in Indiana, we passed House Enrolled Act 1035, which I co-authored, to ensure parents are shielded from unnecessary investigations simply for allowing their kids to be kids. As a mother, I know the importance of keeping a close eye on your children, but I have also seen the mental health and developmental impacts of a child not being able to connect with their peers outside of the classroom or not having age-appropriate responsibilities and freedoms. House Enrolled Act 1035, and similar legislation throughout the country, will have a meaningful impact on the lives of our children and our families, without threatening safety or the ability for authorities to step in when necessary to protect children in need," Indiana State Representative Victoria Garcia Wilburn said.

"Childhood in America is under threat, not least by legal and social norms that push parents to limit their children's autonomy and independence," said Lyman Stone, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Family Studies. "By explicitly protecting reasonable independent activities from being considered negligence, this bill helps protect parents trying to foster resilient children from excess intervention in the home."

"American children are in crisis - not because the world is more dangerous, but because we have systematically stripped them of the independence, free play, and real-world experience they need to grow into capable, resilient adults. What Rep. Moore and Rep. McClellan are doing at the federal level is the logical next step: ensuring that state child welfare plans include training and policies to prevent needless investigations, that CAPTA's definition of neglect cannot be weaponized against parents making reasonable, developmentally appropriate decisions, and that grant-funded child welfare programs actively support a culture of healthy independence rather than fear. This is a commonsense, bipartisan bill that strengthens parental rights, reduces government overreach into family life, and puts children's developmental needs ahead of bureaucratic risk aversion. AFPI is proud to support it," said Jennifer Bauwens, Director, America First Policy Institute.

"At the Child First Policy Center, we believe putting children first means empowering parents to raise resilient kids through real-world experiences, not just screens. We support the Promoting Childhood Independence and Resilience Act. It's time we trust families across the nation to raise capable, confident children," said the Child First Policy Center based in Utah.

Background:

It is becoming increasingly clear that American youth are suffering from collapsing mental and physical health, in part because of screen time, and in part due to a lack of independence, responsibility, and free play. Children today experience 50% less unstructured outdoor play compared to the 1970s, as well as significant declines in in-person socialization. A 2023 study found that over the decades, as children's independence declined, their anxiety and depression have increased.

• In Illinois, a woman was cited for child neglect after allowing her 11, 9, and 5-year-old children to play in a park near their home.
• In Maryland, a couple was found responsible for child neglect after allowing their 10 and 6-year-old children to play outside and walk home by themselves.
• In South Carolina, a mom was arrested for allowing her 9-year-old to play at a park.
• In Virginia, CPS investigated parents who allowed their children to play outside in their yard.
• In Pennsylvania, a single mother was placed on the state's child abuse registry for having a 13-year-old babysit her one-year-old.
• In Georgia, a mother was arrested when her 10-year-old son took a walk.

There have been far too many arrests and registry placements with no actual abuse or harm for parents who are simply giving their children developmentally appropriate experiences to help them thrive. These cases are exacerbating an environment of increased parental fear and anxiety, and they are undermining efforts to help children get outside, socialize with other kids, and engage in physical activity. The Promoting Childhood Independence and Resilience Act is a step in the right direction toward healthier childhoods for the next generation.

Read the one-pager here.

Read the bill text here.