I live in PA, USA and have this question.

Legally at what age can a child stay home alone?

Thanks

I hope this helps...

It is important to remember that the decision to leave children unattended may be subject to state law. Area child protection services can provide information on state child abuse and neglect laws that address the age children can legally be left home alone. Minimum age requirements for unattended children generally range from 12 to 13 years of age. The National SAFE KIDS Campaign recommends that children are not left alone before the age of 12.

[QUOTE=hajt70]I live in PA, USA and have this question.

Legally at what age can a child stay home alone?



"There are no laws or regulations in Pennsylvania stating at what age children may be left without adult supervision. When workers from the Allegheny County Office of Children, Youth and Families check into reported cases -- about 20 a month, with roughly a third of those substantiated -- their main concern is the degree of risk to the children.

How long they're left alone, whether they're able to care for themselves and handle emergencies, if they have support nearby -- all these factors play into the CYF assessment. If the children are determined to be in peril, intervention could range from assisting the family to removing the children.

"As a rule of thumb, no child under the age of 12 should be left home alone under any circumstances," said Marcia Sturdivant, deputy director of CYF. But, she conceded, the world we live in doesn't always work that way."

As you can see a guidline is that 12 is considered OK by some groups, but what happens in these cases is it is judged by hindsight, if something happens bad, and the police and children services get involved , if they rule that the child was not mature enough, then they will say the child was too young, it is normally judged after the fact by a case by case review

I live in a small town and there is only 12 blocks in my town there is only a little over 4,ooo people in my town .my daughter is 12 yrs old and is she old enough to stay home alone and how long .
She has the cell phone and the house phone so please let me know about this ordeal.
And she knows about the emergency she can make sandwiches eats my ice cream up she loves doing that

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Originally Posted by dottie213

i live in a small town and there is only 12 blocks in my town there is only a little over 4,ooo people in my town .my daughter is 12 yrs old and is she old enough to stay home alone and how long .
she has the cell phone and the house phone so please let me know about this ordeal.
and she knows about the emergency she can make sandwiches eats my ice cream up she loves doing that

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What does eating ice cream have to do with staying home alone?

Are you serious?

He was trying to make light of the situation. Parents feel bad enough when there baby's are growing up and its OK to try and make a joke out of it! I laughed and rolled my eyes and thought to myself now that exactly what my husband would say too!

The person's screen name is Dottie... this is not a dad asking and regardless of the gender of a parent, this seems to be a problem. Children are not to be left alone. They are OK if there is no problems but to think they can reason in an emergency, that is turning a blind eye to their innocense. That is the beauty of children yet that is their weekness. Even at 40, I have to stop think and respond in an emergency.

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Originally Posted by Coleen25

T... They are ok if there is no problems but to think they can reason in an emergency, that is turning a blind eye to their innocense. That is the beauty of children yet that is their weekness. Even at 40, I have to stop think and respond in an emergency.

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By that reasoning, Coleen, maybe you shouldn't be left alone either. :)

I believe, legally speaking, JudyKayTee has provided the best answer so far. The idea that, for example, the average 11-year old cannot be left at home for 10 minutes when there are trusted adults in shouting distance is, to my way of thinking, absurd.

Why do I get the feeling this is one person posting in several names?

Spidey senses tingling!

What if your 11yr old is mature and can watch her 7 and 3 year old sisters better than grownups? Is it OK to leave them alone? The 11 yr old and the 7 yr old both have cell phones

What if your 11yr old is mature and can watch her 7 and 3 year old sisters better than grownups? Is it OK to leave them alone? The 11 yr old and the 7 yr old both have cell phones