TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General James Uthmeier is moving forward with the launch of the Office of Parental Rights (OPR) in Florida. This initiative is aimed at supporting parents and safeguarding children, marking the first of its kind in the nation. The office's purpose is to offer justice to families whose parental rights have been infringed upon. In the state of Florida, the rights of parents to raise their children are supported without interference from the government or its entities.
"Governments should understand that—when it comes to raising a child—they don’t know best. The parents do, and they deserve an Attorney General’s office working on their behalf,” stated Attorney General James Uthmeier. “This first-in-the-nation office is a mechanism for parents and families to seek justice where local governments and school systems seek to 'treat,' indoctrinate, or collect data from students without parental involvement. This new initiative is another way we are making Florida the best place to raise a family."
The OPR under Attorney General Uthmeier will address various cases including, but not limited to, the denial of access to school records, lack of consent for data collection, unauthorized healthcare services, and interference with educational choices.
Additionally, any criminal cases will be referred to the Office of Statewide Prosecution. This initiative is in support of previous efforts by Florida to protect children's welfare, notably through the Parents’ Bill of Rights and the Parental Rights in Education Act.
To further assist parents, a new reporting portal will be launched, allowing families to directly report violations to the OPR. More information on this service will be released soon.
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