Mallerie Shirley and Christopher Pleasants live in Georgia with their two children. They live in a safe neighborhood where they don’t fear for their own or their child’s safety. Last election day, November 4, 2025, was a beautiful day in Atlanta. Both Shirley and Pleasants were working from home. Their 6-year-old son wanted to ride his electric scooter to a nearby park for a playground fundraiser. Both Shirley and Pleasants agreed he could go and enjoy himself. This decision proved controversial and prompted a call to the Division of Family and Children’s Services, which both shocked and saddened the family.
The family told Business Insider the boy spent about an hour at the playground and made his way home on a pedestrian, cycling, and scooter trail called the Atlanta Beltline. He was riding safely, wearing a helmet, when a stranger in a car pulled him over during his four-minute ride home. The person reportedly wanted his name, his parents’ names, and their address. The interaction spooked the little boy, who rushed home.
“He was very upset because he’s used to being independent,” Shirley told Business Insider. “We’ve always encouraged him to be self-sufficient.”
She explained that the child is mature and safe and that she and his father can see the trail from their home. Shirley said the family moved on from the encounter, only to have a DFCS case worker show up at their home two days later. Pleasants answered the door, and the caseworker reportedly said the agency had received a complaint about the child being out on the scooter and that it had happened multiple times.
Pleasants told the representative he approved of the child riding on the scooter, but that didn’t seem to matter. The DFCS caseworker entered the home and took photos of the family’s refrigerator and bedrooms. The 6-year-old’s school contacted the family to inform them that a caseworker interviewed him at school.
The family complied with a “safety plan” because they were concerned about what might happen if they didn’t. They have now prohibited their son from riding his scooter or playing outside alone.
“He got stir-crazy, but we didn’t tell him what was going on in case it worried him,” Shirley said.
The couple believe the Reasonable Childhood Independence Law protected them, but they were wrong. The law prohibits parents from putting their child in significant danger, but allows “independent activity…shall include, but shall not be limited to, playing indoors or outdoors alone, or with other children, walking to school, running errands, or traveling to local commercial or recreational facilities.” The law mentions nothing about age limitations.
Shirley told Business Insider that she received a letter in December stating that authorities had substantiated the neglect charge.
“My heart pounding and sinking doesn’t even describe it,” the mother shared. “It was like dropping a bowling ball down an empty well. I experienced true anxiety for the first time in my life and haven’t been able to sleep.”
David DeLugas, founder and executive director of the nonprofit organization ParentsUSA, worked with the parents to help fight their case.
“Mallerie and Christopher’s children are their children to raise,” he told Business Insider. “The DFCS used their son’s age alone as though all children in all places in Georgia are similar at that age.”
DeLugas added that the case consumed valuable agency resources that cases with real needs could use.
A Georgia DFCS spokesperson declined to share details about the case with Business Insider, citing privacy laws. The spokesperson, however, confirmed the department’s dedication to children and families.
“We take seriously every report that might be made to the agency and work with law enforcement when appropriate to ensure the safety of Georgia’s children,” the spokesperson said.
The day after Business Insider reached out to DFCS for comment, Shirley received a call stating the negligence claim was unsubstantiated. Unfortunately for the family, however, that does not mean it goes away.
“The accusation of neglect and the investigation, and the pictures taken of their home and the interviews of their children, will not be eliminated from the DSCS system,” DeLugas said. “If there’s a second report of alleged neglect or lack of supervision, the case managers will still consider the family’s record.”
This is so hard. As parents, we want our kids to be free and safe, but it can be difficult to find a balance. Perhaps if this law had age guidelines, things would be a bit easier for parents to navigate.
