When Is It OK To Leave Your Child Home Alone?

Have you ever wondered whether you can leave your child home alone?  Maybe you are going to run errands or go on a walk.  Obviously, good judgment comes into play.  You wouldn’t leave a very young child at home alone.  But each state has its own law in regard to guidelines about when you can leave your child alone. Recently a couple who worked at a popular ski resort in Vermont left their 2-year old daughter alone in a car while they went skiing.  The parents, aged 21 and 29, were arrested and they were both charged with cruelty to a child. 

There are laws in place that are designed to protect children and determine when a parent can be accused of neglect.  If you would like to read about guidelines for leaving your child home alone, visit childwelfare.gov.

Every state in the United States has laws that determine when leaving a child home alone without supervision is illegal. There are several factors that determine when leaving a child home alone is illegal. These include, among others, the duration of time the child is left home alone, and whether or not the parent acted with deliberate disregard for the child’s safety.

Some states provide a legal age to leave a child home alone. Most states however do not. There are, however, some guidelines that have been provided by a collaboration of states and the Department of Health and Human Services to assist parents in making the decision to leave their child home alone. These guidelines include:

• A child age 7 and under cannot be left alone at home for any period of time. This also includes leaving the child unattended in the car, backyard, or playground. This is a vulnerable age and leaving them unattended would be a high risk to their safety;
• A child ages 8 to 10 is permitted to be home alone only during daylight or early morning hours for no longer than 1 and ½ hours;
• A child ages 11 to 12 can be left alone during the day for up to 3 hours but not late at night;
• A child ages 13 to 15 is permitted to be left unsupervised, but not overnight.
• A child ages 16 to 17 can be left unsupervised for up to 2 days.

Although these are guidelines, many children cannot be left alone under any circumstances. Parents can determine how safe it is to leave their children alone taking into account many factors.