Child Welfare Information Gateway

Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS

1250 Maryland Avenue, SW

Eighth Floor

Washington, DC 20024

800.394.3366

Email: info@childwelfare.gov

https://www.childwelfare.gov

Leaving Your 

Child Home Alone 

FACTSHEET 

FOR FAMILIES

September 2013

Disponible en español

http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/

factsheets/homealone_sp.cfm

Use your smartphone to 

access this factsheet online.

What’s Inside:

• What to consider before leaving your 

child home alone

• Tips for parents

• Resources, including State-specific links

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. It can boost the child’s confidence 

and promote independence and responsibility. 
Leaving Your Child Home Alone https://www.childwelfare.gov

2

However, children face real risks when 

left unsupervised. Those risks, as well as 

a child’s comfort level and ability to deal 

with challenges, must be considered. This 

factsheet provides some tips to help parents 

and caregivers when making this important 

decision.

Depending on the laws and child protective 

policies in your area, leaving a young child 

unsupervised may be considered neglect, 

especially if doing so places the child in 

danger. If you are concerned about a child 

who appears to be neglected or inadequately 

supervised, contact your local child 

protective services (CPS) agency. If you need 

help contacting your local CPS agency, call 

the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline 

at 800.4.A.CHILD (800.422.4453). Find 

more information on their website: 

http://www.childhelp.org/

This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare 

Information Gateway. Available online at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/homealone.cfm

What to Consider 

Before Leaving Your 

Child Home Alone 

When deciding whether to leave a child 

home alone, you will want to consider your 

child’s physical, mental, developmental, and 

emotional well-being; his or her willingness 

to stay home alone; and laws and policies 

in your State regarding this issue. There are 

many resources you can consult for guidance. (See the end of this factsheet for some 

of them.) These resources typically address 

the considerations below.

Legal Guidelines

Some parents look to the law for help in 

deciding when it is appropriate to leave 

a child home alone. Many States’ child 

protection laws classify “failing to provide 

adequate supervision of a child” as child 

neglect, but most of these States do not 

provide any detail on what is considered 

“adequate supervision.” In some States, it is 

considered neglect when a child has been 

left without supervision at an inappropriate 

age or in inappropriate circumstances, after 

considering factors such as the child’s age, 

mental ability, physical condition, the 

length of the parent’s absence, or the home 

environment—any combination of factors 

that creates a situation that puts the child 

at risk of harm. Only three States currently 

have laws regarding a minimum age for 

leaving a child home alone. Illinois law 

requires children to be 14 years old before 

being left alone; in Maryland, the minimum 

age is 8, while in Oregon, children must be 

10 before being left home alone.

Many States offer guidelines for parents that 

can assist them in determining when it’s 

appropriate for them to leave their children 

home alone. (See the end of this factsheet 

for a listing of States that have posted 

guidelines on the Internet.) For information 

on laws and guidelines in your State, 

contact your local CPS agency. If you need 

help contacting your local CPS agency, call 

Childhelp at 800.422.4453.

Age and Maturity

There is no agreed-upon age when all 

children are able to stay home alone safely. 

Because children mature at different rates, 
Leaving Your Child Home Alone

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Information Gateway. Available online at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/homealone.cfm

https://www.childwelfare.gov

you should not base your decision on age 

alone.

You may want to evaluate your child’s 

maturity and how he or she has 

demonstrated responsible behavior in the 

past. The following questions may help:

• Is your child physically and mentally able 

to care for him- or herself?

• Does your child obey rules and make 

good decisions?

• How does your child respond to 

unfamiliar or stressful situations?

• Does your child feel comfortable or 

fearful about being home alone?

For children with developmental or 

intellectual disabilities who are not able 

to stay home alone, parents may be able 

to arrange supervised options that support 

independence while maintaining safety and 

well-being.

Circumstances

When and how a child is left home alone 

can make a difference to his or her safety 

and success. You may want to consider the 

following questions:

• How long will your child be left home 

alone at one time? Will it be during the 

day, evening, or night? Will the child 

need to fix a meal? If so, is there food that 

can be prepared without using a stove to 

minimize the risk of fires or burns?

• How often will the child be expected to 

care for him- or herself?

• How many children are being left home 

alone? Children who seem ready to stay 

home alone may not necessarily be ready 

to care for younger siblings.

• Is your home safe and free of hazards? 

• How safe is your neighborhood?

• Does your child know how to lock or 

secure the doors? Does your child have a 

key to your home or a plan if he or she 

gets locked out?

• Does your child know what to do if a 

visitor comes to the door?

• Are there other adults nearby that you 

trust and who are home and can offer 

immediate assistance if there is an 

emergency or your child becomes fearful?

Safety Skills

In addition to age and maturity, your child 

will need to master some specific skills 

before being able to stay home alone safely. 

In particular, your child needs to know what 

to do and whom to contact in an emergency 

situation. This information should be 

written out and stored in an easily accessible 

place. Knowledge of basic first aid also is 

useful. You may want to consider enrolling 

your child in a safety course such as one 

offered by the Red Cross.1 Make sure that 

there is easy access to first aid supplies at 

home in case they are needed. The following 

questions also may help:

• Does your family have a safety plan for 

emergencies? Can your child follow this 

plan?

• Does your child know his or her full 

name, address, and phone number?

1 For information on course offerings from the Red Cross, visit 

http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/Learn-About-Our-Programs
Leaving Your Child Home Alone https://www.childwelfare.gov

4 This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare 

Information Gateway. Available online at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/homealone.cfm

• Does your child know where you are and 

how to contact you at all times? 

• Does your child know the full names 

and contact information of other trusted 

adults, in case of emergency?

Even if your child demonstrates knowledge 

of all this information, it is wise to have it 

written out in an easily accessible place. 

Tips for Parents 

Once you have determined that your child 

is ready to stay home alone, the following 

suggestions may help you to prepare your 

child and to feel more comfortable about 

leaving him or her home alone:

•	 Have a trial period. Leave the child 

home alone for a short time while staying 

close to home. This is a good way to see 

how he or she will manage.

•	 Role play. Act out possible situations to 

help your child learn what to do such as 

how to manage visitors who come to the 

door or how to answer phone calls in a 

way that doesn’t reveal that a parent is 

not at home.

•	 Establish rules. Make sure your child 

knows what is (and is not) allowed when 

you are not home. Set clear limits on 

the use of cable television, computers 

and other electronic devices, and the 

Internet.2 Some experts suggest making 

a list of chores or other tasks to keep 

children busy while you are gone. 

2 For guidance on how to set parental controls on cable 

television and Internet content, contact your service provider(s).

•	 Discuss emergencies. What does the 

child consider an emergency? What does 

the parent consider an emergency? Have 

a code word that the parent and child can 

use in the event of any emergency.

•	 Check in. Call your child while you 

are away to see how it’s going, or have a 

trusted neighbor or friend check in.

•	 Talk about it. Encourage your child 

to share his or her feelings with you 

about staying home alone. Have this 

conversation before leaving your child 

and then, when you return, talk with 

your child about his or her experiences 

and feelings while you were away. This is 

particularly important when your child 

is first beginning to stay home alone, but 

a quick check-in is always helpful after 

being away.

•	 Don’t overdo it. Even a mature, 

responsible child shouldn’t be home 

alone too much. Consider other options, 

such as programs offered by schools, 

community centers, youth organizations, 

or faith-based organizations, to help keep 

your child connected and involved.
Leaving Your Child Home Alone

5 This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare 

Information Gateway. Available online at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/homealone.cfm

https://www.childwelfare.gov

Resources

American	Academy	of	Child	and	Adolescent	Psychiatry

Home Alone Children (Facts for Families No. 46) 

http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?section=Facts%20for%20Families&name=Home%20Alone%20

Children

KidsHealth (The Nemours Foundation’s Center for Children’s Health Media) 

Leaving Your Child Home Alone

http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/home/home_alone.html

National	Network	for	Child	Care

Home Alone

http://www.nncc.org/SACC/sac31_home.alone.html

Prevent	Child	Abuse	America

“Home Alone” Child Tips

http://www.preventchildabuse.org/images/docs/homealonechildtips.pdf

State-Specific Home-Alone Resources

Arizona: https://www.azdes.gov/landing.aspx?id=9694

California: http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/caqhomealone.asp

Colorado: 

http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/CDHS-ChildYouthFam/CBON/1251617279471

Connecticut: 

http://www.ct.gov/dcf/lib/dcf/child_welfare_services/pdf/leaving_your_child_alone.pdf

Delaware:	http://kids.delaware.gov/faqs.shtml

District	of	Columbia: http://dc.gov/DC/CFSA/About+CFSA/Who+We+Are/FAQs#1

Florida: http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/programs/childwelfare/caregivers/

whentoleaveyourkidshomealone.shtml

Georgia: http://dfcs.dhs.georgia.gov/safety-precautions-when-leaving-children-home-alone

Idaho: http://www.211.idaho.gov/elibrary/HomeAlone.html

Illinois: http://www.state.il.us/dcfs/docs/leave.pdf

Indiana:	http://www.in.gov/dcs/files/Home_Alone_Brochure.pdf
Leaving Your Child Home Alone https://www.childwelfare.gov

Kansas:

http://www.dcf.ks.gov/services/PPS/Documents/PPM_Forms/Appendices/Appendix_1B.pdf

Maine:

http://www.mainekids-kin.org/Tip%20Sheets/9%20-%20Is%20your%20child%20ready%20

to%20stay%20alone.pdf

Maryland (Anne Arundel county): http://www.aacounty.org/dss/children.cfm

Massachusetts: http://www.lawlib.state.ma.us/subject/about/childabusefaq.html#home

Missouri: http://extension.missouri.edu/extensioninfonet/article.asp?id=2250

Montana: http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/publications/isyourchildreadytobehomealone.pdf

Nebraska:

http://dhhs.ne.gov/children_family_services/Pages/children_family_services_homealone.aspx

New Hampshire: http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/documents/home-alone.pdf

New York: http://ocfs.ny.gov/main/prevention/faqs.asp#supervision

North Carolina: http://www.ncdhhs.gov/contacts/faqs.htm

North Dakota: http://www.pcand.org/images/stories/Home_Alone_Brochure_lowres.pdf

Ohio: http://jfs.ohio.gov/OCTF/leaving_your_child_home_alone.pdf

Oklahoma:

http://www.okdhs.org/NR/rdonlyres/83731D8C-EA74-4CA4-840F-498451D77245/0/0324_

GuidelinesforChildrenLeftAlone_aging_2004.pdf

Pennsylvania: http://www.phila.gov/dhs/PDFs/homeAlone.pdf

Texas: https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Child_Protection/About_Child_Protective_Services/

faqchildalone.asp

Virginia:

http://www.dss.virginia.gov/files/division/dfs/cps/intro_page/publications/alone.pdf

Washington: http://www.dshs.wa.gov/pdf/media/052912HomeAlone.pdf

Suggested citation:

Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2013). Leaving your child home alone. Washington, DC: 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families

Administration on Children, Youth and Families

Children’s Bureau