Alarmingly, many states still allow religious exemptions in child protection laws, permitting parents or guardians to withhold necessary medical care based on their religious beliefs, even when doing so endangers a child’s health or life. Some states shield caregivers from civil or criminal liability if they rely on faith-healing practices instead of evidence-based medical treatment. Children have tragically died across the country after being denied necessary care under these exemptions.
The CHARM (Children Have A Right to Medicine) Act repeals these dangerous and outdated provisions and ensures that all children receive needed medical care. Courts have long recognized that parental rights do not include the right to cause harm or deny life-saving treatment. Allowing religious exemptions creates a double standard that leaves some children unprotected. The FFRF Action Fund supports passage of the CHARM Act in every state that still has such antiquated and inhumane exemptions on the books, so that all children are afforded equal protection under the law — regardless of a caretaker’s personal beliefs.
Find out more. See Toolkit.
