Bill · H.R. 8757· House(119-HR-8757)
Promoting Childhood Independence and Resilience Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 5/12/2026
- Last activity
- 5/12/2026 — Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Sponsored by
- Blake Moore
- Cosponsors
- - 2 - 2
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Promoting Childhood Independence and Resilience Act of 2026 aims to amend the Social Security Act and the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. It seeks to address child welfare involvement caused by "reasonable childhood independence activities." The bill defines these activities to include things like playing alone, walking to school, or running errands. It requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study and report on how to better empower parents in this regard. Additionally, it mandates that state child welfare plans include policies and training to prevent unnecessary investigations. The goal is to ensure that allowing children independence does not result in criminal or civil charges or the separation of families.
Yes· 3 of 5
Would children be better off under this?+5
The bill promotes the development of social skills, resilience, and independence through unstructured play.
Does this make mental health care easier to get?+3
The bill addresses the need to mitigate anxiety and depression by promoting childhood independence and unstructured play.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+2
The bill aims to protect parents from the trauma and potential loss of custody resulting from investigations into childhood independence.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Prevention of Unnecessary Investigations: By requiring states to implement policies and training, the bill aims to prevent "unnecessary and traumatic investigations of parents or the separation of a child from a parent or custodian" based solely on independence activities (Section 5, a, 1; Section 5, b, 1).
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Protection of Parental Rights: The bill seeks to provide "assurances and protections" so that parents and guardians can allow children to participate in independence activities without the fear of "criminal or civil charges, custody assessments or investigations, mandated services, child abuse registry, or accusations of child abuse or neglect" (Section 6, a, 2, xxvi).
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Support for Child Development: The bill's findings suggest that promoting independence through activities like unstructured play and social interaction can help develop social skills and resilience (Section 2, 12; Section 4, a, 1).
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Clarity on what constitutes Neglect: The act amends the definition of child abuse prevention to ensure that a decision to allow independence does not count as a risk of serious harm unless it is an "unreasonable disregard of a foreseeable risk of serious harm" (Section 6, a, 1).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts or burdens are explicitly listed within the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Children+5Good For Low Income Households+2
- Healthcare
- Improves Mental Health Access+3
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+2
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+2
- 7/13/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/15/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/12/2026
- Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
Christopher DeluzioDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Virginia FoxxRepublican · North Carolina
Erin HouchinRepublican · Indiana
Jennifer McClellanDemocrat · Virginia