Providing adequate supervision to your children is critical to their safety and well-being

A difficult decision parents must make is deciding when it is safe to leave a child home alone.  There is no magic age when staying alone suddenly turns safe.  There are no laws which state how much supervision a child requires.  There are, however, guidelines to help make this important decision.

• Children ages 6 and under should never be left without direct supervision, even for a short time.  If a child is unable to quickly find and talk in person to a parent or sitter, the child is unsupervised.
• Children ages 7 to 10 rarely, if ever, should be without direct supervision.  Depending on the child's maturity and capability, as well as the situation, more mature children in this age group may be left alone for a very short time, usually 15 minutes or less.
• Children ages 11 to 14 probably do not need a sitter if the parent is gone occasionally for a few hours.  A child would need supervision, preferably by an adult, if the parent is gone regularly or for long periods (such as working).
• Children ages 15 and up, for the most part, do not need a sitter.   If, however, a child has special needs, supervision may be in order.

A child's ability to care for themselves depends on many factors:  the child's level of maturity, dependability, and ability to make reasonable decisions.  The child must feel free to discuss problems, fears, and concerns he or she has about staying alone.  There should be a relationship with the parent which encourages open and honest communication.  Other factors to think about are:

• How long will the child be left alone?
• What time of the day will the child be left alone?
• How close is the child to trusted adults who can help in an emergency?
• How safe is the environment?
• What is expected of the child?  For example, is the child responsible for the care of a younger sibling?
• How easily can the parent be reached by telephone?
• Would the child know what to do if the phone rang or a person came to the door?

Once the child's age, the situation, and all the other factors have been considered, if the parent still has any doubt about leaving the child alone, the best advice is don't.

IMPORTANT Phone Numbers