FAITH-HEALING EXEMPTION

faith-healing exemption.Family law. In a child-abuse or child-neglect statute, a provision that

a parent who provides a child with faith healing (in place of standard medical treatment) will not,

for that reason alone, be charged with abuse or neglect. • Nearly all states have enacted some form

of faith-healing exemption. But the statutes differ greatly. For example, they differ on whether the

exemption is available as a defense to manslaughter or murder charges brought against a parent

whose child dies as a result of the parent’s having refused to consent to medical treatment. — Also

termed religious-exemption statute; spiritual-treatment exemption. Cf. medical neglect under

NEGLECT.[Blacks Law 8th]