I guess I'm in trouble. Please don't call DCF on me.

From the Home School Legal Defense Association:

Listening Only to Christian Music Considered Child Abuse?

At the end of January, in Port Huron, Michigan, the Millings family* were minding their own business, homeschooling their children. Suddenly a social worker knocked at the door demanding entry. When the mother refused to let her in, and handed her a piece of paper describing her rights, the social worker crumpled up the paper and said, “I’m not dealing with it.” Then she stated that if she couldn’t come in to examine the children she would get the police. She yelled over the mom’s objections that she wanted to “come in now” and do a strip search of one of the children.

The allegations by the anonymous tipster were absurd. The family was accused of “only allowing their two boys to listen to Christian music.” The tipster said that the children “ate their cheerios dry” and received nearly all their “socialization through their church.” The tipster asserted the children were not in school. Furthermore, the anonymous tipster said the “fourteen- and ten-year-old were seen outside playing without adult supervision” and the mother “pinched and hit her kids in church to keep them quiet.” The last allegation was the reason why the social worker wanted to strip search one of the children.

Chris Klicka of Home School Legal Defense Association immediately sent a letter to the social worker indicating the rudeness and unprofessionalism of her visit. He also indicated that she obviously didn’t receive her social worker training in the Fourth Amendment. HSLDA, a year and a half earlier, drafted and helped persuade legislators to pass a law requiring all social workers in Michigan to receive training in their “duty to protect both statutory and constitutional rights of those being investigated.”

The Millings were able to get a statement from a local doctor indicating that the children were not abused, and letters from various individuals who vouched for them being good parents.

Unfortunately, the anonymous tipster struck again and made another call. When the social worker renewed her efforts to personally interview and strip search the children, she indicated to Klicka that if she was not allowed to get into the home to do this, she would seek a court order.

Klicka responded with, “You can’t get a court order, because there is no probable cause.” He explained that an anonymous tip does not rise to the level of probable cause and that a court order could not be issued because there was not credible evidence. The social worker closed by saying she would seek a court order by Friday.

By Monday, the social worker contacted the family and said that they were going to be dropping the investigation.

We praise God for this victory, and the courage of the Millings family.

* Not their real name.

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HSLDA works to protect the rights of homeschooling families. This article is from their website.

What struck me was that these people were reported for things I have done in raising my children:

I did not allow them to choose just any radio station when they were younger; I pretty much insisted on Christian music or conservative talk radio. (Gotta indoctrinate them properly, you know, if I didn't do it someone else would.) I still do not allow offensive popular music in the house or car.

My two older kids ate their cereal dry. My daughter had milk allergies and my son just did not like milk....a result of our pediatrition strongly discouraging cow's milk for children.

I let my ten year old and older kids play outside without my immediate supervision. They did not run all over the neighborhood at ten (unlike my neighbor's six year old foster child!!), but they could play in our yard and with the neighbor children without my hovering over them.

Well, I did not pinch or hit my kids to make them behave in church....but their dad did take them out and swat their bottoms if they decided to act like little cretins.

Oh, and my kids (and my husband and I) got (get) most of our socialization through the church and our Christian homeschool group.

I'm glad that the Michigan social service agency came to the conclusion that this family was not abusive. Too bad the HSLDA had to get involved before they did. Folks, if we don't work to protect our rights we aren't going to have any.

---Katie