Preserving Childhood, Consent, and Parental Rights in Healthcare, with Emilie Kao

In this episode, Emilie Kao, senior counsel and vice president of advocacy strategy for Alliance Defending Freedom and member of the Parental Rights Foundation Board of Advisors, joins us to discuss her article “Preserving Childhood: Dependency, Consent, and Parental Rights in Healthcare,” featured in The State of Parental Rights in America. Emilie explores the legal foundations of parental rights in healthcare decision-making, the Supreme Court’s parental rights precedent, and the historical understanding of childhood dependency and parental responsibility.

The conversation also examines the rise of the “mature minor” doctrine and its growing role in healthcare policy. Emilie discusses how policy-driven consent standards developed, the major areas where the doctrine is most frequently applied today, and the tension between parental authority, state interests, and adolescent autonomy. She also explains why these debates matter for families, healthcare policy, and constitutional protections moving forward.

The EPPiC Broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, President of the Parental Rights Foundation. Stay informed on parental rights news by signing up for email alerts at https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/get-involved/.