When is it okay to leave a child by themselves at home?
The answer varies state by state because federal law doesn’t set an age requirement mandating how old youngsters must be before they can be left home alone.
It varies even more in Minnesota. The University of Minnesota Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare states there’s not a specific age listed in Minnesota statutes.
Minnesota’s child neglect laws uses the language, “appropriate to the child’s age,” potentially leaving room for individual interpretation.
The penalty for depriving a child of necessary food, clothing, shelter health care or supervision in Minnesota is up to a year in prison and/or up to $3,000 in fines.
An age is listed in the statute for bodily harm or death caused by a child under 14 years old gaining access to a firearm. It carries the same penalty, according to the statute.
The University of Minnesota Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare warns that each Minnesota county might have its own local policies. For instance Sherburne County lists the following conditions that could spark an investigation. A Minnesota Parent report states most counties follow similar guidelines.
Children age 7 and under who are left alone for any period of time.
Children ages 8 to 10 who are left alone for more than three hours.
Children ages 11 to 13 who are left alone for more than 12 hours.
Children ages 14 to 15 who are left alone for more than 24 hours.
Children ages 16 to 17 may be left alone for over 24 hours with a plan in place concerning how to respond to an emergency.
Children five years old and younger are never to be left unattended.
For children ages 6 to 7, the agency will take into consideration the totality of circumstances around the situation.
Different children have different maturities and abilities, which should be taken into account in deciding whether to leave them home alone.
Waite Park police offer home-alone safety class
Worried about leaving your children home alone? No worries, the Waite Park Police Department has you covered.
The police department is hosting two home alone safety courses for ages 9 to 12 on July 10, according to the Inside Waite Park newsletter.
The class is also available on July 9.
The class is from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the St. Joseph City Hall. The class costs $20 and includes lunch.
Topics include kitchen safety, online safety, fire safety severe weather, basic first aid and calling 911.
Those interested can register online at ci.waitepark.mn.us/508/Home-Alone-Safety-Class
Questions to ask before leaving children home alone
Parents considering leaving their child home alone should look at the child’s age in relationship to growth, behavior and judgment, the North Dakota Department of Human Services said in a graphic it posted online.
That graphic shared questions that suggests parents ask as they consider whether to leave a child home alone.
Those are as follows:
How does the child feel about the situation?
With what responsibilities would the child be left? Would the child be able to handle those?
What safety risks would be present?
How long would the child be left alone? The first few times should be quite short. Absences may get longer once it becomes clear the child feels confident about safety.
Is the child capable of resisting peer pressure if friends encourage him or her to break rules when no adults are around?
Here’s how to prepare children to be home alone
Child care experts suggest that before parents leave their children home alone for the first time, they prepare them for that experience by doing the following:
Providing them access to a fully charged cell phone and a list of any phone numbers they may need to call in the event of questions or emergencies, with one of those preferably being the number of a trusted adult who lives nearby.
Teaching them when and how to call 911.
Teaching them what to do in the event of fire.
Teaching them what to do in the event of severe weather.
Reminding them to keep the doors locked, not answer any knocks at the door and not tell anyone online or over the phone that no adults are present.
Show them where the first aid kit is located and demonstrate for them how they can use it to administer basic first aid.
Remind them to avoid cooking or — if an older child capable of cooking is present — to take proper care when doing so.
Make it clear that children are not allowed in or near swimming pools without adult supervision.
Make sure any weapons, medications or potential poisons are safely stored away.
Provide in writing any information the child might need.
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This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Does Minnesota law say how old a child must be to stay home alone?