Georgia mom taken into custody following her 10-year-old’s solo stroll

A Georgia mom was arrested after her 10-year-old son took a solo walk to a store about a mile from home in rural Georgia. The mom, Brittany Patterson, was confronted and arrested at home by deputies hours later. Patterson had to leave for an appointment and left her son at home assuming he didn’t want to go. The deputies returned the boy home unharmed, but then arrested Patterson for reckless conduct. Georgia law does not specify an age at which a child can be left alone, but Patterson was accused of failing to know where her son was and report him missing before leaving. The mom refused to sign a safety plan presented by the Division of Family and Children Services, which had provisions like GPS tracking on her son’s phone. Experts believe the charges against Patterson represent an overreach by authorities, and most parents have the right to decide what is best for their children as long as there is no risk to their safety. Similar cases of parents being charged for leaving children unsupervised have happened in other states, but they are relatively rare. Hetherington, a law professor, stressed that parents, especially parents of color, should not fear criminal prosecution for giving their kids independence when they are mature enough. She emphasized that parents know what is best for their own children.

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