 | |
| Abbreviation | CHILD |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1983 to 2017 |
| Type | 501(c)(3) |
| Focus | Child neglect |
| Location |
|
| Field | Child welfare |
| |
Key people | Rita Swan, President |
| Website | childrenshealthcare |
Children's Healthcare Is a Legal Duty (CHILD) was from 1983 to 2017 an American nonprofit membership organization that worked to stop child abuse and neglect based on religious beliefs, cultural traditions, and quackery. CHILD opposed religious exemptions from child health and safety laws. These exemptions have been used as a defense in criminal cases when parents have withheld lifesaving medical care on religious grounds. These exemptions also have discouraged reporting and investigation of religion-based medical neglect of children and spawned many outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases and deaths.[1][2] CHILD publicized the ideological abuse and neglect of children, lobbied for equal protection laws for children, and filed lawsuits and amicus curiae briefs in related cases.
CHILD was founded in 1983 by Rita and Douglas Swan after the death of their son, Matthew. When Matthew developed a high fever in 1977, several Christian Science practitioners, who claimed they were healing Matthew, persuaded the Swans not to seek medical treatment for him. After he had been ill for 12 days, the Swans did take Matthew to the hospital, but his illness had progressed too far and he died of bacterial meningitis.[3]
According to the National Association of Counsel for Children, which gave an award to Rita Swan for her efforts, "Due in large part to CHILD's efforts, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Dakota, Hawaii, and Oregon have removed laws which provided exemptions from prosecution to parents who fail to provide medical care for their sick children based on religion".[4][5][6]
- ^ "Some Outbreaks of Vaccine-preventable Disease in Groups with Religious or Philosophical Exemptions to Vaccination", CHILD website, CHILD, retrieved 30 April 2013.
- ^ Tilkin, Dan (KATU News); Murad, Mike (KBOI News, Idaho) (20 May 2011). "Man speaks out about child deaths in NW faith-healing church" (TV news broadcast). Portland, OR: Fisher Communications, Inc. KATU. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Bell, Bonnie (31 March 1980), "Their baby's death provokes Doug and Rita Swan to a holy war on Christian Science", People, ISSN 0093-7673
- ^ Castle, Marie Alena, "No legal protection for kids in faith-healing families: Why most states sanction religion-based child sacrifice", Atheists for Human Rights, archived from the original on 31 January 2013, retrieved 30 January 2013
- ^ "Children's Law News" (PDF). The Guardian. 23 (3). National Association of Counsel for Children: 15. 2001. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
- ^ Munns, Roger (2 June 1996). "Mom fights prayer that excludes medicine". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 22 April 2013.