‘Free Range Kids’ Can Now Roam Unsupervised In Utah
Utah officially signed a ‘free range kids’ bill into law which allows children to wander without parental supervision. Get all the details here.
By WKBW on March 28, 2018
Utah officially signed a “free range kids” bill into law which allows children to wander without parental supervision.
The law goes into effect on May 8 and states it’s not neglectful to leave children to wander alone. There purposely wasn’t a cutoff age specified. However, USA Today reports that the law does mention the kids should show maturity and good judgement.
State Sen. Lincoln Fillmore said:
“It’s not neglect if you let your child experience childhood. The message is you need to protect your kids but we are not doing kids any favors if we shelter them to the point where they are not learning how to function.”
Lenore Skenazy, who wrote a book on “Free Range Kids” says that it encourages independence. It also helps kids feel smart and capable.
With this law in effect, more Utah kids will likely be seen taking themselves to school, and meeting friends in public spaces alone.
