Promise to America’s Parents

Children belong first and foremost to their families. In the words of the U.S. Supreme Court, they are not “mere creatures of the state.” The unique and intimate relationship between a parent and a child creates a duty and a corresponding natural right. Parental rights are fundamental rights protected by the U.S. Constitution. However, courts have not consistently protected parental rights against government interference and invasion as they should. Parents need laws that provide government Accountability, Choice, and Transparency (ACT):

Accountability

Every mother or father may hold the government accountable for infringing on their rights to care for their child.

1. Every mother or father should be able to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their children. Any infringement on these fundamental rights by a federal, state, or local government policy must meet the strictest legal standard.

Choice

Every mother or father has the responsibility and right to choose the education and medical treatment that they deem best for their child.

2. Every mother or father should have the freedom to choose a school (including private school, religious schools, and homeschooling) that aligns with their values.
3. Every mother or father should be able to determine the instruction that their child receives. Public schools should obtain written consent for instruction on topics related to Critical Theory and Identity, including but not limited to, topics such as race, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Parents should be able to opt their child out of any instruction that violates their beliefs and should be able to hold the government accountable if their rights are violated.
4. Every mother or father should be able to determine the medical treatment that their child receives. No parent should face political or ideological barriers in obtaining healthcare for their child.*
5. Any medical professional, school official, and/or government employee should obtain written parental consent to treat a child’s mental or physical health.

Transparency

Every mother or father has the right to know about what their child is learning, their child’s health, and any harms to them.

6. Every mother or father should have the right to review all curriculum and teacher training materials, receive material updates, meet with teachers to discuss instruction of their child, and make alternative arrangements to objectionable instruction.
7. Every mother or father should have the right to be informed by school officials about their child’s physical, emotional, and mental health.
8. Every mother or father should be able to safeguard their child’s personal information. Public schools should obtain written parental consent before collecting information including, but not limited to, DNA, blood, biometric data, and voice or image recordings.
9. Every mother or father should have the right to full access to all written and electronic records about their child (including, but not limited to, medical records, disciplinary, counseling, and psychological records, and reports of behavioral patterns) unless the parent is the subject of a criminal investigation.
10. Every mother or father should have the right to be notified by school employees, medical professionals, and/or government officials if there is a reasonable suspicion that abuse, neglect, or any criminal offense has been committed against their minor child, unless notification would impede an official investigation.

[*If a child has no affirmative right of access to a particular medical or mental health procedure or service because such procedure or service is prohibited under state law, then that child’s parents do not have an affirmative right to obtain that procedure or service on the child’s behalf.]