Now that school is officially out for Rochester students, what are working parents to do with their youth? If a child isn’t signed up for summer camp, daycare, or a babysitter, some parents might wonder, “Can I leave my kid home alone?” Others might consider the legal ramifications of leaving a child home alone. And what age is too young?
At what age can kids be left home alone in New York?
Surprisingly enough, there is no legal minimum age set for New York state. According to the Office of Children and Family Services, since children develop at varying rates and some have special needs and abilities, “Parents and guardians need to make intelligent, reasoned decisions regarding these matters.”
Although other states have legal requirements, in New York, it is ultimately up to the parents to decide whether their child is old enough and mature enough to stay home alone. With this, if anything goes wrong while a child is home alone, there could be consequences, such as child endangerment or recklessness charges.
How do you know what age you can leave your kid home alone?
While there is no magic age that works for every child, the nonprofit Safe Kids Worldwide recommends starting to leave kids home alone between the ages of 12 and 13. But it is very dependent on their level of maturity.
“Parents should look for signs of responsibility when their children are with them before leaving them home alone. Are they able to follow directions without being told repeatedly? Do they only follow directions if you are there watching? If they only follow the rules when you’re watching, it’s unlikely that they will follow them when they are home alone,” Rolanda Mitchell, an education counselor at North Carolina State University, told USA Today in 2019. “School behavior can also be a good indicator because school is where children spend the most of their time without their parents watching. If they’re misbehaving or violating rules, they may do the same when they’re home alone.”
Maria Francis is a Pennyslvania-based journalist covering trending topics across the Mid-Atlantic region.
