Karyann Parkinson, a Virginia mother and recent law school graduate, was convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a minor after allowing her five-year-old son to walk alone for approximately half a mile within their gated community. The incident mirrors a similar case from over a decade ago involving Danielle Meitiv, who faced comparable charges for practising "free-range parenting," a movement that encourages children to develop independence. Parkinson's case has renewed attention to the ongoing debate between parenting approaches and the role of child protective services.

On 5 June, after the child requested to collect goose feathers from a pond near their home, a neighbour reported seeing the boy alone and contacted security. A security guard located the child and contacted police, who then engaged Child Protective Services. Parkinson was subsequently charged and added to Virginia's Abuse and Neglect Registry for seven years, though she is appealing both the conviction and the registry finding. Her jury trial is scheduled for February 2027. The free-range parenting movement was founded by Lenore Skenazy in 2008 and is supported by advocates including Meitiv, who argue that such parenting styles better develop children's self-efficacy compared to helicopter parenting approaches.