The Texas Public Policy Foundation writes to support Representative James White’s November 27, 2018 request (RQ-0258-KP) seeking your office’s opinion on the elements, factors, or standards courts have considered and applied when balancing the rights of the state against the fundamental right of parents to raise their children free from government intrusion. In light of recent reports of Child Protective Services removing children from innocent parents, including a high-profile case out of Harris County in which Judge Michael Schneider ordered CPS to pay a sanction of $127,000 to Michael and Melissa Bright for lying to take custody of their children under a false allegation of physical abuse, it is vital that the public have confidence that the State of Texas recognizes the fundamental nature of the parent-child relationship and protects it from unnecessary and unconstitutional interference.