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Speak Up! - View Question #155 |
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Question: At what age can kids be left at home alone?
Answer: Until a child becomes emancipated, his or her parents have a legal obligation to provide for the child's supervision and welfare. The principal ways in which a child becomes emancipated are when he or she turns 18, gets married, or joins the military, whichever occurs first. Leaving a child alone at home really depends on whether the parent believes that particular children have the physical and mental capacity to care for themselves during the absence. The parent's actions will generally be judged on whether the parent acted as a reasonable, prudent parent under the circumstances. There is no set age where a child is deemed self-sufficient, other than through emancipation.
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| Comments |
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On 11/02/03
Eleanor from Othe said:
Im in the uk. My parents are divorced and I see my dad most weekends. My mother has a drinking problem and sometimes leaves me and my younger brother (13) alone for days at a time. Sometimes we are left with not enough food or money for school. She also complains we have no money-when she is spending it all on alcohol. Is this legal?
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On 10/29/03
Na'kita from MO said:
No. They are wrong. The hotline people told me and my family you have to be at least 13 years old in order to stay at home. If you are baby-sitting you have to be at least 13 or 14.
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On 09/29/03
Josh from AZ said:
No because there is no law. When I was a boy I was left home alone in 15 feet deep snow and I had to walk upstairs both ways to either get into my room or to the bottom of the stairs.
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On 07/12/03
Bill from CT said:
I am fifteen years old and my parents, for some strange reason, think that it is against the law to leave me alone while they go on vacation for a weekend. Can anyone tell me if they are correct, and provide me with the source of your information?
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On 04/19/03
marianne from OR said:
I was wondering I want to go to a friends house and I'm 12 but I'm wondering because nobody will be home to supervise. I want to know what is the legal age for a kid to stay alone at a friends house.
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