Police again pick up 'free-range' kids, take them straight to child services

Sparking a national conversation about free-range parenting earlier this year, Danielle and Alexander Meitiv are again under scrutiny after their children were picked up by police for the second time in four months on Sunday.

After a long car ride, the Meitivs dropped their 6- and 10-year-old children off at a park almost a mile from their home, asking them to be home by 6 p.m. Police intercepted them about midway through their walk. When the kids still weren't home at 6:30 p.m., the Meitivs became worried — but Child Protective Services didn't call until around 8 p.m. to say the children were in their custody.

The first time the Meitiv children were picked up by police occurred back in December as the kids walked back from a park, and in February, the parents were notified that they were being held responsible for unsubstantiated neglect.

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Firm believers in "free range" parenting, the Meitivs allow their children to play and walk in the neighborhood independently. Danielle Meitiv told AP that so far, nothing has happened to "convinc[e] me that children don't need independence and freedom, except that they'll be harassed by police and CPS."