US News
Idaho faith-healing exemptions linked to preventable child deaths as state law shields parents from prosecution
Medical experts found at least 15 children in a religious sect died from treatable illnesses over a decade under state protections for prayer-based care.
The short version
- A ProPublica investigation found at least 15 children in Idaho's Followers of Christ faith-healing sect died from treatable medical conditions between 2015 and 2025.
- Idaho law has shielded parents in faith-healing sects from criminal prosecution and medical neglect charges since the 1970s.
- State lawmakers have repeatedly rejected attempts to repeal faith-healing exemptions since 2014, instead expanding parental rights and restricting medical intervention mandates.
Key facts
- At least 15 babies and children in the Followers of Christ sect in Idaho died between 2015 and 2025 from treatable illnesses, according to pediatricians and birthing specialists who reviewed county records.[ProPublica]
- Idaho civil and criminal statutes enacted in the 1970s allow parents in faith-healing sects to rely on prayer rather than medical care without facing prosecution for child neglect or manslaughter.[ProPublica]
- Idaho legislators have repeatedly declined to repeal the state's faith-healing exemptions since 2014, while passing measures that strengthen parental rights over healthcare decisions.[ProPublica]
- Records indicate at least five sets of parents in the Followers of Christ sect in Idaho have lost multiple children to preventable conditions.[ProPublica]
- Oregon repealed its faith-healing child protection exemption nearly 30 years ago, leading prosecutors to report increased medical care seeking among faith-healing parents.[ProPublica]
What remains uncertain
- The total number of preventable child deaths in the Idaho sect is likely an undercount due to incomplete or unavailable county coroner records.[ProPublica]