Families should decide how children are raised—not Washington

Mothers and fathers, not Washington, should decide how their children are raised, taught and cared for. The Heritage Foundation, the conservative Washington think tank founded in 1973, posted on X on October 24, 2026¹ that individuals and families—not government—make the best decisions about their families' health, education, jobs and welfare. Heritage tagged Utah Senator Mike Lee beneath the statement.

Heritage's post names four areas of family life: health, education, jobs and welfare. In each one it hands the decision to the family instead of to government. Heritage laid out the same principle in detail in its January 2024 Solutions education chapter.

That chapter says parents, not “diversity, equity, and inclusion” bureaucrats, must be at the center of intimate questions about their children's identity and mental and physical health². It warns that some guidance counselors are building “gender support plans” that can lead students to socially transition without their parents' knowledge or consent.

The chapter's answer is to return authority to the home. It recommends state parental bills of rights that affirm parents as their children's primary caregivers and require schools to get parents' permission before administering health services². It endorses education savings accounts that let families take at least 90 percent of their child's share of state per-pupil funding to a private school or education provider of their choice. It also calls for reducing the size and scope of the U.S. Department of Education dramatically.

Lee, the senator Heritage tagged, starts from the same premise. His Senate office describes the family as the most basic and essential building block of American society³. The office also says he works to undo government interventions that penalize or weaken the family.

Parents have the natural right, and the responsibility, to direct their children's care, education and upbringing. That is why Family Brief backs school choice, including charter, religious and private schools and homeschooling, and curriculum governed by states, localities and parents. Lawmakers who share Heritage's principle should write parental consent into law, because the right to raise a child belongs to the parents who answer for that child.

Sources

1. @Heritage on X, 2026-10-24: Individuals and families—not government—make the best decisions about their families' health, education, jobs, and welfare. @SenMikeLee https://x.com/Heritage/status/2113798187462856871/photo/1, 2026-10-24
2. Education — Heritage Foundation Solutions 2024
3. The Family - Mike Lee US Senator for Utah