ATLANTA — Atlanta parents received a visit for a child welfare check after their 6-year-old rode his scooter by himself to a playground near their house.
Two days later, the Fulton County Division of Family and Children Services showed up.
“It was a shock. The playground is actually about three blocks away, maybe four blocks and it takes about two to four minutes to get there. There were parents waiting for him on the other end to get to the playground, and they were texting me when he arrived,” Mallerie Shirley told “Good Morning America.”
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
It’s a case that is stirring up debate. Shirley shared Ring camera video of her son leaving the house to head to the playground.
On his way home, a woman stopped the 6-year-old and asked where his parents were. He didn’t answer and sped home, but the woman followed him and alerted authorities.
“We were told that this was an official investigation. I remember thinking, ‘Well, you know, this has to be a mistake. It has to be a mistake,’” Shirley said.
The parents say they cooperated with the investigation and signed a safety plan in November that they would “ensure [their] children are supervised at all times.”
The Fulton County Division of Family and Children said that it substantiated allegations of neglect. But this week, the Georgia Department of Human Services sent a letter clearing the parents. The letter stated it reviewed the investigation and found the allegations unsubstantiated.
The couple’s lawyers says more training is necessary for welfare agencies.
“What needs to happen to protect children from being stopped unnecessarily and parents investigated, parents arrested, is training of the child welfare people and law enforcement to make them understand they do not substitute their subjective views of parenting for what parents do every day,” said David DeLugas, an attorney with ParentsUSA.org.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Georgia snow: Winter storm warning expanded to metro Atlanta; widespread snowfall expected
- Atlanta VA patient who died tested positive for Legionella
- Fire alarms go off all night long at apartment complex, but there’s no fire
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]