FactSheet

July 2007

Disponible en español

www.chidlwelfare.gov/pubs/

factsheets/homealone_sp.cfm

Leaving Your Child 

Home Alone

Every parent eventually faces 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 

What’s Inside:

• What to consider before leaving your 

child home alone

• Tips for parents

• Resources

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families

Administration on Children, Youth and Families

Children’s Bureau

Child Welfare Information Gateway

Children’s Bureau/ACYF

1250 Maryland Avenue, SW

Eighth Floor

Washington, DC 20024

703.385.7565 or 800.394.3366

Email: info@childwelfare.gov

www.childwelfare.gov
Leaving Your Child Home Alone www.childwelfare.gov

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

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

promote independence and responsibility. 

However, children face real risks when left 

unsupervised. Those risks, as well as a child’s 

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: 

www.childhelp.org

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, and emotional 

well-being, as well as laws and policies 

in your State regarding this issue. There 

are many resources you can refer to 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. According to the National 

Child Care Information Center, only Illinois 

and Maryland currently have laws regarding 

a minimum age for leaving a child home 

alone.1 Even in those States other factors, 

such as concern for a child’s well-being and 

the amount of time the child is left alone, 

are considered. States that do not have laws 

may still offer guidelines for parents. 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, 

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?

• Does your child feel comfortable or 

fearful about being home alone?

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:

1 See Children Home Alone and Babysitter Age Guidelines, 

from the National Child Care Information Center: 

www2.nccic.org/poptopics/homealone.html
Leaving Your Child Home Alone www.childwelfare.gov

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

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

• 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?

• 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?

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. Knowledge of basic first aid is also 

useful. You may want to consider enrolling 

your child in a safety course such as one 

offered by the Red Cross.2 The following 

questions may also 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?

• 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?

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.

• Establish rules. Make sure your child 

knows what is (and is not) allowed when 

you are not home. Some experts suggest 

making a list of chores or other tasks to 

keep children busy while you are gone.

• 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. 

• 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 churches, to help keep your child busy 

and involved.

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

www.redcross.org/services/hss/courses/community.html
Leaving Your Child Home Alone 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 www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/homealone.cfm.

Resources

American Academy of Child and 

Adolescent Psychiatry

Home Alone Children (Facts for Families 

No. 46)

www.aacap.org/page.ww?section=Facts%

20for%20Families&name=Home%20Alone%

20Children

Childhelp®

www.childhelp.org

KidsHealth (The Nemours Foundation’s 

Center for Children’s Health Media)

Leaving Your Child Home Alone

www.kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/

home/home_alone.html

National Network for Child Care

Home Alone

www.nncc.org/SACC/sac31_home.alone.

html

Prevent Child Abuse America

“Home Alone” Child Tips

www.preventchildabuse.org/publications/

parents/downloads/home_alone.pdf