age required for child to be alone at home
Only a couple of states have laws that specify the age when a child can be left home alone, including Maryland (age 8) and Illinois (age 14). However, most states have guidelines with the Department of Health and Human Services or other child protective agencies that test a child's ability to be left home alone. 1 Show your child where the first-aid kit is and how to use the items in it. 2  Prepare a snack or meal for your child in advance, preferably one that does not need to be heated. 3  Tell the child where you will be, how you can be reached, and when you will return home.  If possible, leave your beeper or cellular phone number. Ever wondered about what age you child needs to be, before being left at home alone? Wondered about how to keep you child safe coming and going from school? These any many vital questions are answered each week by our staff of professional safety experts. To help ensure a child’s safety when staying at home alone, follow these safety tips: Place all emergency numbers (doctor, hospital, police department, fire department, poison control center, emergency medical services) and the phone number of a friend or neighbor in a visible place near all phones. When can I leave my child home alone? This is a questions that is asked daily to Child Safe Canada instructors! The age at which children in Canada can legally be left at home alone for reasonable and short periods of time varies from province to province, ranging anywhere from 10 to 12 years. Some provinces place that decision into a parent’s hands ( assuming they are responsible and not placing a child in harm’s way). 8 to 10 years - Should not be left alone for more than 1½ hours and only during daylight and early evening hours. 11 to 12 years - May be left alone for up to 3 hours but not late at night or in circumstances requiring inappropriate responsibility. 13 to 15 years - May be left unsupervised, but not overnight. 16 to 17 years - May be left unsupervised (in some cases, for up to two consecutive overnight periods). Because children mature at different rates, there is no single, pre-set age at which children are considered “old enough” to stay home by themselves for short periods. Parents must evaluate their child’s individual development and physical capabilities. How to Know If a Child Is Ready to Stay at Home Alone. It is important to note that no two children are alike, and parents must decide on a case-by-case basis what is best for their child. Safety Tips for Leaving a Child Home Alone. Inform immediate neighbors that your child may be home alone on some days. All parents eventually face the decision to. leave their child home alone for the first time. Whether they are just running to the store for. a few minutes or working during after-school. hours, parents need to be sure their children have. the skills and maturity to handle the situation. safely. Being trusted to stay home alone can be a. positive experience for a child who is mature and. well prepared. Child Safe Canada teaches that being home alone is: not an EVENT but instead it is a PROCCESS!. Being home alone should be a process that is initiated in gradual and supervised stages. Start with small periods of time, and slowly increase with the child’s skills and growing maturity level.
8 to 10 years - Should not be left alone for more than 1½ hours and only during daylight and early evening hours. 11 to 12 years - left alone for up to 3 hours but not late at night or in circumstances requiring inappropriate responsibility. 13 to 15 years - May be left unsupervised, but not overnight. 16 to 17 years - May be left unsupervised